Seventh Day
by Skymos
Summary: CH1 to 21. 2 years after the events of The Last of Us, Joel and Ellie are travelling together once again. Their journey ties them in with a man on a mission, a woman who can save humanity, and a syndicate dedicated to our destruction. The story of Adam and Eve has never been so important. T-VSLC
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

"Hey! Find a knife or something yet?"

"No. Ain't nothing here but rotten food and broken records."

"Damn. That really _cuts _me up."

Joel let out an exhausted sigh. He and Ellie had been on the road for a couple of months, and things had gotten progressively worse as they had strayed further from Tommy's. He knew she was just trying to lighten the mood and to distract them both from the rumbling in their stomachs. Part of him was grateful for that; but the part he let on was all business, and that part had a hunger that desperately needed sating. He knew Ellie could go longer without food than he could; she was smaller, and had smaller requirements. He felt his stomach growl so fiercely it almost made an audible sound dingy, damp room.

He had led her in to an abandoned town-stead about an hour ago, on the premonition they'd find something along the lines of food. It'd been easy enough to enter the town's limits, with only a rusted chain-link fence standing around the small mass of buildings cluttered on a main high-street. His suspicions had been raised when they came across a laceration in the links, at ground height, and just big enough for a person to squeeze through. He recalled the tips of the wires were still a deep and newly exposed grey where they had been severed.

"C'mon, kiddo, cut the wise cracks and help me find something. We're gonna need to get through this door quick; we don't know what's up here."

He was glad it had been a friendly departure from his brother's little township, and one left on good terms, although he remembered it was abrupt. Tommy observed as much, and as such had questioned Joel in great detail, trying to wean the real reason out of his elder brother. To Tommy, and Ellie, the reason he gave was simply that the duo needed to move on, never staying in one place for too long with the remnants of the Fireflies still out there – and possibly on their tail. He felt the true reason hanging laboriously at the back of his conscience. He didn't hear it scream at him, and he didn't have an overwhelming urge to come clean – instead he felt it sitting there, persistent, almost forcibly whispering at him. He heard it remind him constantly as to why they truly left the town in Jackson. Joel needed to keep both Tommy and Ellie safe; not from Clickers or Fireflies, but from himself. The things he'd seen and the things he'd done had all chipped away at his humanity, continuing to eat away at what had remained after Sarah's death, all those years ago. He knew that Tommy's place was meant for people to start again, and he pondered whether what he'd done rendered him eligible for that category.

"Something like a credit card'll do just as well." He said, raising his voice slightly for her to hear. "We just gotta pop the lock, okay?"

"Gotcha. I'm gonna check the closet." He heard her reply echo from a distance.

Regardless of his lack of humanity, he felt he still had a duty to protect Ellie, with his life. He'd always be too proud and too stubborn to tell her, but he knew she filled a hole in his heart that hadn't been occupied in years. He, of all people, knew the risks tied to travelling with someone he cared about, especially a minor; but he loved her. No two ways about it. He was driven by his love that had been forged through their grief, and it gave him surprising strength in his harder moments. He had written himself off after Sarah had died, thinking of himself as nothing but a wad of meat with a brain that could carry out menial tasks and kill people without remorse. He felt that Ellie brought out more than that in him, and gave him back a part of his personality that was almost irretrievably lost. He noticed her turning him over the course of their journey from beast back to man again. He wasn't going to lose another daughter, though; the beast would come back whenever she was in trouble.

He heard her holler to him from another room, her voice slightly muffled through the plasterboard wall on his left.

"Ah! Here we go. Whoa, holy shit…"

He cautiously moved from his position, swiftly entering the small supply closet she'd found. As he rounded the corner, he felt a sickly and repulsive smell seep towards him. He registered a corpse, a man, dressed in faded formal wear matted with blood and with a slight orange skin tone, hanging loosely in the corner of the closet, resting up against the wooden boxes where he'd met his end. He saw a large, glinting, overly dramatic knife lodged in the front of his skull, the source of the caked blood that traced down the front of his face.

"What've you got there?" He asked his younger companion.

He saw her place her hands on the hilt of the machete, heave, and pry the weapon out of the corpse's head.

"A huge fucking knife." He saw her turn to him, and weigh the object in her hands. "I've never seen one this big! What's it used for, like hunting or something?"

He chuckled softly, taking the knife from her grasp and giving it a once-over.

"No, kiddo. This ain't nothing more than a show-piece owned by some two-bit collector. This infected was probably its first blood, and eight to five chance it wasn't the man who owned it who made the kill."

"Fair enough." He could see her looking at her reflection in the oddly gleaming blade. "Still, it's incredible."

He knelt down next to her, and let her examine it further.

"Never thought I'd hear a sixteen year old girl talk so highly of knives." He said, with uneasy acceptance.

"Hey, knives are cool." He heard Ellie counter, watching the girl becoming transfixed with the glistening metal. "Plus, it's shiny."

"Simple pleasures, eh?" He replied jokingly. "Look here." He gestured to a fold in the metal, a small, almost undetectable dark grey line, and continued.

"This is how you tell the quality of your equipment. This is a nice knife, resembles a Kukri, but it's poorly made. It's been poorly tempered too, and is way too malleable. Notice how the steel has blunted along the edge just by going through a skull? Means it ain't good for nothing but opening cans."

"Or maybe doors."

He knew she had a point. "I'll give you that one. Let's see if we can get through the one giving us so much trouble."

He stood first, and she followed. They walked together in silence and stopped at the vaguely green wooden door. Joel gently eased the blade of the Kukri through the crack between the door and its chipping frame. He slid the blade deftly downward, guiding it towards the bolted lock, and once there, slid the tip underneath the small metal rod that held the door shut. He heard a small click as the bolt gave.

Joel added some leverage, heaved, and the door sprang open, screeching with rust as it exposed the room in front of them.

He felt the smell hit him first, then saw where it was coming from.

He noticed the back door of the store they'd emerged into was open, leading into the dusky evening light of the town. His nose and his empty stomach turning told him that the opening in the wall had had no effect on the stench of the rotting corpses in the room, however. It was impossible to tell their genders now; they had been killed a while ago, and he saw that the faces they once had worn were receding with rot, exposing chunks of yellowish-white bone underneath. He knew they were too far gone to identify. Joel edged into the room carefully, easing his matte-grey snub nose from a clasp in his belt, and almost silently, he pulled the hammer backwards, hearing it release a dull click that echoed into the room.

"Stay behind me, Ellie." He ordered the young nomad behind him.

He mad a quick sweep of the room, which revealed nothing out of the ordinary; just corpses and abandoned possessions. Joel beckoned Ellie to shut the door leading into the street, and moved forward quickly to examine the bodies. He watched Ellie move warily around one of corpses lying face-down next to the doorway, while he moved to shut the opening in the front of the store. The rusting, blue metal of the door swung inwards with his force, and he gently popped it back into its frame as not to make any unnecessary noise.

He glanced at each of the corpses, seeing what flesh remained on their faces a crisp white. They were dead, but he saw that none of them had turned. He knelt down, and examined a ring of ligature marks around one of the corpses's wrists.

"Alright… looks like a torture situation gone haywire." He assumed so, anyway. "One of the victims got free and took down their captor."

"Did anyone get out?" He heard Ellie ask from behind him.

"Not by the looks of it." He saw the corpse with the ligature marks was holding a compact pistol. "The one that had thrown the door open was shot by this one."

He traced a line, from the corpse lying next to the door to the one lying in front of the chair, playing out the situation in his mind.

"The one in the chair over there, I guess a friend of this one, was tortured and killed." His eyes danced around, putting the pieces together. "The one on the table was the other captor's buddy. Looks like he got shot too."

"So the geared-up ones got shot by their prisoners?"

Joel calculated possible options. He felt one spring to mind a lot faster than was comfortable, and it came along with a profound sense of de-ja vu.

"I reckon, this one by the chair got killed, and his buddy got his hands on one of the guard's weapons and took his revenge."

"How'd you know?" He turned, and met the eyes of the girl. She was sixteen now, he thought. Almost a woman.

Joel sighed as he remembered.

"Been on both sides." He admitted.

He saw Ellie chose not to reply, and watched the youth simply turn her head away from the mess and start observing what wares remained in the shop. It had been almost completely cleared out, he saw, probably by other survivors, and he noticed only a few interspersed items remained. He loked at the posters of movies, some boy band that he remembered the teenage girls had been crazy about back then, and one of those thick, black gaming consoles he'd been awful at. He watched the sixteen year old inquisitive girl he was travelling with stare in awe at these items, thinking she was trying to conjure up thoughts about what that time would've been like. He felt slightly guilty as he watched her traipse around the store, trying to visualise something his selfish eyes knew all too well. Joel didn't have many rules of survival, but a fundamental one was that they hardly talked in great lengths about their pasts. Stories from before the outbreak were usually boring, and ones from afterwards always hard to swallow. He'd seen and done horrors himself, most of which he still hadn't revealed to her, and some which he never would. He knew she'd been through hell, but some of the things that he had decided were right along the line he knew would make her stomach turn. Still, they were fine together; he realised that what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

He moved over to one of the more well-geared corpses lying beside the chair, knelt down next to it and turned it over, observing its rotting eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. The person was a male by body structure, he guessed, and a Caucasian by the colour of what skin remained – he'd also been young; barely over 30, if that. Joel saw he was kitted thoroughly, with a veteran's equipment; stuff that'd been made relatively new and not scavenged from dumpsters or abandoned houses or fuck knows where else. He noticed his grip had stiffened as he had died, and saw that his lifeless fingers were also clasping a compact, matte-black pistol. Joel carefully pried the gun from the dead man's fingers, along with taking a couple of magazines he found in the man's vest. On his left breast, Joel saw that the man wore an unusual symbol, almost resembling a crest – he processed a faded, but ornate red circle, made of what appeared to be vines, with an elaborate sword cutting through the uppermost point, perpendicular to the centre point. He thought he knew the crest from somewhere, but he couldn't place it. He knew that the military no longer bore any symbols, so this discovery bothered him.

"Ellie?" He hollered, snapping the teen out of her daydreaming.

"Yeah?" He heard her reply idly from the other side of the store.

"Check that other geared-up character over there."

She moved warily over to the corpse by the door, and turned to Joel, looking at him inquisitively.

"What about him?"

"He got a logo emblazoned on his breast?"

"Yeah." He might have known. "A red circle with a sword in it or something. I don't know."

Once was a coincidence; it could've easily been a sign or symbol from before the breakout, on a jacket that no longer bore any meaning. Two, however, he knew was not. A group of some sort had passed through here, tortured people, and lost two of their own. Joel wasn't about to take any risks.

"Ah, shit." He muttered quietly under his breath. He doubled around, and turned to the girl. "You be careful, okay? Might be we have to deal with hunters."

"Way ahead of ya." He saw Ellie cock and reload a pistol she'd picked up, matte black, pristine, and identical to the one he had sourced from the other dead soldier. They had the same gear, too, he saw – he no longer assumed any mere coincidence. Joel kept himself alert as he decided their next move.

"C'mon. Let's head out and see what there is to see."

He moved towards the girl standing by the door, edged himself forward, and pressing down the lever-bar, edged out of the building and into the street. Once Ellie was out, he gently shut the rusted navy-blue escape door behind them, hearing it come to rest in its frame with a dull click. He felt the shining orange light of dusk had bathe him and the dilapidated high street in gold, and saw it paint the fauna that was slowly reclaiming the town. He noticed that cracked concrete and glass were now giving way to fresh shrubs and trees, and that the air was slowly getting colder as the days grew shorter. Winter was coming again, he realised, and it would prove no easier than the winters Joel had weathered before. They'd spent two at Tommy's, surrounded by family and friends, with warm food, warm fires and warmer beds. He solemnly knew that life in the wild was a much harsher and deadlier reality; their first year back in the sticks was going to prove difficult.

The thoughts of Tommy's reminded him that he'd lied to Ellie about why they had to leave the town. His ability to lie to her was beginning to frighten him. Joel's motives were almost akin to a sense boredom, although shuddered at the word given the context. He knew that she'd never look at him the same way again if he told her he had murder withdrawal.

"This pistol," He heard Ellie begin from his rear, examining the gun she'd picked up, "is almost new, and super clean. I haven't seen anything like it since the military, in Boston."

"You won't have." He knew the military would never venture this far north. "This stuff here's military grade as well."

"So the bandits have military grade weapons now?"

He sighed. "Seems so." He turned to her and looked her in the eyes, and then placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Just be alert, and watch out. I'm hoping whoever those guys were with are long gone, but there ain't any reason to let your guard down."

"I know." He turned and continued walking up the high-street, the grass growing out of the asphalt beneath his feet rustling. "

"I'm surprised we haven't seen infected." He heard Ellie comment. "Reckon this place might be a set-up?"

"I don't know." He replied vacantly. He was too busy scouring the street for their next access point to grant the theory any discussion. "There's a store-front, over there." He gestured to a dilapidated grocery shop. "Let's have a look."

"Okay." He stopped and turned around when he realised she wasn't following.

"Are you coming?" He asked.

"Ladies first." Came her reply. He huffed, turned, and made for the store.

Joel cautiously approached another store-front. He saw countless vines and crawlers hanging limply over the sunlight-faded title sign, of which he saw the writing was now indiscernible. He reached the door and forced his way gently through the rotting wood, which he cynically noted was still somehow on its hinges. He heard a loud creak accompany him as he entered the shop, Ellie following closely behind him, treading carefully over the broken glass of the bay windows that had been broken in long ago. Once within, Joel busied himself searching the remnants of the stock on shelves for anything of worth, while Ellie wandered around the rest of the store. He was aware of needless bric-a-brac and other useless items populating the floor, and begrudgingly realised that all of the cans on the shelves were either rotten or empty. A lonely cash register hung open, its metal tray drooping under the strain of corrosion.

His stomach throbbed as he kept searching, driven by an almost animal impulse for food, while he glanced to his right and noticed Ellie busy herself gazing into posters that littered the walls.

He saw Ellie glancing over rusted cans and empty plastic wrappers in his peripheral, scanning the shop for anything of value, just as he was. He lost sight of her as he turned from the left wall to the right, and then to the centre. He turned, and noticed a cache of food that lay on the main counter, just behind the ruined cash register. Behind it, he saw a strange black stock-like shape jutted outwards into the air.

"Holy shit… Joel?" He watched Ellie walk over to the counter-top, and lay her hand gently on the stock of the pristine assault rifle laying behind fresh cans of food.

"Ellie, don't!" He began as he felt his heart sink upon realisation of the weapon. "It's a-"

He noticed the tell-tale red-dot of a laser sight trace its way up Ellie's abdomen. He felt adrenaline fill his brain as the realisation struck him hard. He noticed everything around him slow, and he doubled around to the source of the beam, outside the store. He heard a dull release of air from a silenced rifle, him following the projectile it fired with his eyes as a dart whistled through the air just in front of him and struck Ellie in the neck. He heard her yelp and watched her teeter, and then fall to the floor, her small body collapsing into unconsciousness. A non-human instinct kicked in, and he sprinted to her side, covering the length of the store in mere seconds.

"Ellie!" He shouted to no one in particular.

He heard the sound of a door flinging open somewhere behind him – he didn't know where, and he didn't care. He arrived at her side, picked her up off the floor, and eased the needle gently out of her neck, watching a small rivulet of blood follow the shaft out. He cast it down at his side, and heard it shatter into thousands of fragments, the remainder of the liquid it carried dripping audibly onto the floor.

"Ellie? Ellie! It's okay, baby girl, I got you-"

He felt a stern hand grab the back of his hair, and excruciating pain shoot through his mind as the grip-covered glove nearly tore it out of his scalp. He answered by drawing the Kukri that was sheathed in Ellie's belt, and spinning around, rammed it straight into the attacker's gut. He reared backwards as a plume of crimson erupted out of the grey urban camouflage, and watched the man reel backwards, choking, collapsing behind them in a blood-covered and writing heap. Two more followed, he heard, and they brutishly pushed him away off of her, slamming him down onto dirt-smelling floor of the convenience store. He felt another powerful, gloved hand press the side of his head into the dust, and an all too familiar sensation of handcuffs clamping around his wrists.

He glanced briefly to the street, long enough to see the sniper stand and the red circle emblazoned on his grey uniform to stand out to him, before the butt of a gun crashed into the side of his head and everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 2 - Keeping a Watchful Eye

There was nothing in his mind but trauma.

Had the events of the day actually happened? He couldn't remember. His head throbbed maliciously, blocking out all forms of calculation and sensible thought. A natural and musty smell of sweat and canvas hung over him, mixed with the steel-flavoured stench of artificial smoke. Every time they drove over a lump in the terrain, it was like being knocked out all over again.

The men who'd attacked them… one of them was dead, at least. Joel had seen to that personally. He managed to take some humour from the fact that the Kukri had managed to kill a man after all; Ellie's amazement hadn't been in vain.

Ellie. He didn't even know if she was alive.

The thoughts came crashing back into his mind, hurting far more than the gun-butt had. He'd never be able to forget the dart crashing into her throat, the sound she made as she fell to the floor, the final splutters of the man he killed… and the red circle emblazoned on the sniper's tac-vest.

He stirred slightly, and then stiffened as he controlled himself, sensing presences in the back of the truck alongside him. Moving would be a stupid and fatal mistake – all they'd do is put him under again, and not with a method as kind as tranquiliser dart. His head was damp where his blood had matted his hair, and pain poured from it, almost unbearably; regardless, he stayed stock still, as to not alert his captors. There was nothing he could do but lie and listen.

"… Yeah, we did. Some punk kid and her dad. Little bitch bit me when she woke up, can you fucking believe it? Despite that, the idiots walked right into the trap. I tell ya – losing Jake and Skip may not've been so bad after all! We thought the mess would scare people off, but I guess they were just too damn eager."

Another voice spoke.

"Or hungry, genius. That's a nice rifle we left out in the store, though. Shame. It'd be put to much better use popping infected than rotting on a counter-top."

"Stop whining, just 'cause you can't hit shit with yours!"

A third.

"Enough! We've gotta keep this situation under wraps. If anybody leaks that we've set this town up, the Watcher's bound to find out. If he turns up, I ain't taking him down as easy as that girl."

"The Watcher? What, you been living under a fucking rock or something?"

"What?"

"Krass pulled the Watcher in ten days ago. He managed to flank around the bastard as he tried to snipe out one of our hunting teams, luckily enough. He's tied up tighter than a tourniquet; he ain't getting out of the base."

"Holy shit… you mean that bastard's been in the base for the last week? Fuck! He killed half of my guys!"

"Relax, idiot. If Krass ain't killed him already, then he's been beaten to a fucking pulp."

A fourth voice, now. Fighting his way out wasn't an option given his injuries. He'd have to ride this out until he got a decent chance.

"Guys… who the hell is the Watcher?"

"So you're the one who's been living under a rock, eh Rookie? Fill him in, Fitz."

"We didn't know who or what he was until Krass captured him, but he's made ends meet by going round the country and slaughtering people like us. He 'saves' the idiots we capture, without realising that we need to survive too. He rescued so many that he became a fucking legend, claiming he 'watches over the innocent' or some shit. He's nothing more than a cold-blooded motherfucker who's been constantly harassing our operations. And, he's got ties to the boss. That's why he sent Krass after him. That's why we're here."

"Wha… what? I thought we were here to bait survivors and take their shit, not be cannon fodder for some supersoldier!"

The third voice sighed. "Isn't everyone just cannon fodder nowadays, Rookie?"

Joel sat there, unmoving, listening attentively to their conversation. The imbeciles, in their ignorance, had given Joel a lead; he needed to find and spring this 'Watcher' guy if he wanted any chance of getting himself and Ellie out alive. And also, to his advantage, their conversation told him that their syndicate wasn't in the best of shapes. This 'Krass' they kept mentioning sounded like a tough character, but Joel had met worse. He was sure they'd meet soon enough, if he was high ranking in the group. The sniper spoke up again.

"So, how's the outpost holding up? I've been on recon for the last few days. Wasn't there an infected scare?"

"Yeah, but it was nothing." Fitz replied. "Some dumbass blew a cylinder in an engine and the noise was loud as fuck. We had a few runners, nothing else."

"Still though, I'm shocked to hear they came so far out of the cities. It's unusual."

"Yeah, but nothing a few bullets can't fix."

The air was getting colder, gradually; it was nearing night again. It'd been dusk when they'd been captured… how long had he been out? A day? The cramping in his body told him it was at least twelve hours since they'd started driving. The thought of Ellie being alone with these hunters was almost too much to bear; she wasn't in the same truck as him, the way they were talking. With a little luck, he'd been out for most of journey, and they'd reach their destination soon. He just needed to see her, and know she was alive. He couldn't think straight until he had that security.

"Oh my god… we getting close yet? My ass is fucking killing me."

"Get out and walk then, you wimp."

"Ignore Fitz, Rookie. We're not going to the main base; we're going to the outpost. Krass wants this fuck and his daughter."

"Why? What's he gonna get out of some kid and her attack dog?"

"Dunno. All I do know is that they came from the south. Ring any bells?"

"Oh, right. You're talking about that survivor town down near Jackson? I heard we were gonna make a hit there. Think they might know something? We still don't know where it is, or who's guarding it."

"Details. It can wait a while. We're almost there, and Krass wants a debrief from us."

Joel was glad he was awake to hear that. By survivor town, they obviously meant Tommy's. No one else had any supplies for a hundred miles, and he was the only one with a set-up in that area. He committed that to memory, making sure to remember to warn Tommy, or alternatively, kill every one of these hunters.

The truck shuddered to a stop, and Joel smacked his head against the metal exterior. It was all he could do not to cry out. He heard the shifting of feet, and the opening of the back of the truck; two of the men, he couldn't tell which, grabbed him under the arms and pulled him out. He stayed limp to play coy, and let them drag him across the dirt. He knew now was not the right time to strike, and any abrupt movement would lead to an unavoidable death. He sensed a compound, a wide, open area – and people populating it. He could hear the dull thrum of voice, interspersed with the odd growl off an engine.

A man in the distance yelled something - he missed what it was. The man on his left replied, identifying him as Fitz, the surly one from the truck. There was a loud creak of hinges swinging, and he felt them pass through an entrance into a building, where the air was warmer and dryer than it had been outside. It wasn't comforting to him at all, as the place reeked of antiseptic… and blood. Slowly, realisation came that he was in somewhere far worse than a prison.

The men had mentioned that they were headed to Krass' outpost. He vainly wondered whether the Watcher would be here, being interrogated in one of the cells.

Another man muttered something, and they passed through another door. Fitz and the other man carrying him lowered him down onto a plastic chair, and closed the door just in time to catch the noise of a muffled scream further down the corridor. Fear rippled down his spine in a cold, unforgiving shudder.

They tied him, hands and legs, to the chair. Any chance to escape was now long gone. The chains were rusted, but steadfast, lashing him firmly to the thin metal legs of the chair.

"Open your eyes." A voice spoke in front of him.

Joel didn't know if the command was directed at him, but he only just managed to comprehend it – the voice who delivered it was thick with a foreign accent he hadn't heard in decades. The sound of a Russian.

"I'm not stupid, and neither are you. These two idiots may have thought you were dreaming, but I know you're awake."

Joel didn't move, and didn't respond. The interrogator was undoubtedly targeting him, and he vainly hoped the Russian was bluffing, acting on a gamble.

"Open your eyes and look at your daughter. She's here to say hello."

His resolve wavered, and vanished. He carefully opened his eyes and raised his head to look forward.

"Ah, ah! Fuck you, let him go!"

The man was there, holding Ellie by the hair, a gun to her head. Fitz and the other man, who turned out to be the sniper, were standing behind the chair Joel was seated at.

"As much as I hate to introduce myself on bad terms, I'm afraid I am rather short on time." The hammer of the pistol clicked backwards, the barrel aimed at Ellie's head. "My name is-"

"Krass…" Joel uttered.

A wide grin cut across the man's gaunt, pale and menacingly sharp face.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat? Maybe speak up a little."

"Krass." Joel stated firmly, meeting the man's gaze, a look of sheer anger spread across his face. "Your dumbasses in the car weren't quiet about you."

Krass was slightly taken aback, and shot Fitz and the sniper a murderous glare.

"I thought I told you to knock captives out." He snapped, impatient. "How long was he awake for?"

"Uh, I… I dunno, boss." The thick man, Fitz, responded, stuttering as he was addressed.

Krass swallowed his anger, a look of grim distaste contorting his unusual face. A vein tensely stood out of his neckline where he repressed his displeasure. He looked back to Joel.

"As my… 'colleagues' have no idea how much you overheard, I'm afraid I'm going to have to skip the formalities. I hope you understand."

Krass was the complete opposite of what Joel had imagined – he'd envisioned a brutish individual, large and stupid, with a shaved head and short temper. What actually stood before him was quite different; he was a tall, lean man, although undoubtedly strong, with a thick and surprisingly well kept mop of jet-black hair that outlined blue eyes, too cool to be merciful, that hid something darker and scarier within. He also obviously had brains in his head, unlike his idiotic coworkers. This one would be dangerous; his pristinely straight, white smile screamed that as much as his feigned courtesy did.

"J… Joel? I'm so sorry." Ellie admitted, cringing under Krass' grip on her hair.

"Ah ah ah, young one." Krass slapped her. "Speak when spoken to."

"You bastard." Joel blurted, his anger flaring. Fitz followed it by hitting him in the face.

Krass wrestled with Ellie, keeping a firm grip on her hair. He laughed as he placed the gun back to her head, almost gaining vitality from the situation.

"He's a tough one, is he? That's a shame. You see, I've managed to break even the most resilient individuals. But only because… they refused to give me what I want. So I'll make this simple for you. Give me -"

"- What you want, and you'll let me go?"

Krass cracked a smirk, one far from being pleasant, reeking with horrific intent and it spread across his face.

"I see you've been in this situation before. Very well."

The Russian handed Ellie to the sniper, pulled over another chair, and sat down in front of Joel. It was typical interrogation strategy to cosy up to your victim, pretending to be courteous, but subconsciously intimidate him to breaking point, and then some. Joel wasn't intimidated easily, but even he was wary of Krass. There was something more to this man than met the eye.

"You see… Joel, is it? I have a small issue. Surviving nowadays is difficult business, and no-one wants to share food or resources with the cast-outs of society! They all want to rebuild, to start a new world for people. Unfortunately for us, we're no longer fitting for that name, as I'm sure you know. So, we have to source our income from any ways possible, if you catch my drift."

"You look well off enough already." Joel countered, the anger rising in his voice.

Krass remained cool and composed, his earlier anger forgotten.

"We're not fairing badly, I'll admit… but my superior has different plans."

He reached over to the table, and picked up a map of Missouri.

"There's a survivor's town somewhere in the vicinity of Jackson County. You tell me where, and you and your daughter can go free."

Joel stared at the map for a few moments, then looked Krass in the eyes, staying silent.

"Don't do it, Joel!" Ellie yelled from the other side of the room. "Fuck these guys! All they'd do is-"

"Shut up, bitch!" Fitz yelled, striking Ellie again. Joel reddened, and gave Krass an unforgiving look. These men had marked themselves for death.

"Enough, idiot. Leave the girl alone." Krass turned to meet Joel's enraged glare.

"You don't want to make the wrong choice here, old man."

Joel spat.

"I ain't telling you shit." He spoke, straining the syllables of each word with added hatred.

Krass paused for a moment, nodded politely, thrown slightly by his failure to persuade Joel out of information, and proceeded from there.

"Very well. I'll be sure to tell them how valiantly you fought when I kill them all. Fitz, lock the girl up in the cell. Keep him on the chair. Marcus… administer the medication."

He leaned in so close to Joel's face that he could smell the unusual cleanliness of the Russian's breath.

"We'll talk again later, Joel."

Krass turned and left, striding out of the room swiftly, and as composed as he had been for the majority of the interrogation. Fitz wrestled Ellie into a cage behind him, which was merely more than an improvised storage cupboard sealed with iron bars. Marcus the sniper made his way over to Joel. A needle scratched into his arm, and he felt a liquid being inserted, seeping eerily into his bloodstream. Instantly, the world began to fade and collapse into darkness. Before he slipped into unconsciousness, he overheard two things.

"Fitz, man… you okay? You're not looking so hot."

"I… I'm fine, Marc! Just gotta get some… some rest. Let's go."

And lastly, quietly from behind him:

"You did the right thing, Joel."


	3. Chapter 3 - Skin of Their Teeth

The sound of a nearby explosion jolted Joel out of his drugged stupor. He was groggy, but alert. His head still throbbed, but he was alive, and so was Ellie.

"Holy fuck! Did you hear that?"

"Ellie! You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Face hurts, though. Can we kill that bastard Fitz please?"

"When we get loose, why the hell not? These chains won't budge, though."

"Shit… something big's been going down. An outbreak, I think."

That wasn't at all a good sign. If there was an outbreak in the interrogation rooms, Ellie was locked in a box and he was tied to a chair like a damn spit roast. They had to get out of this, and quickly.

A door swung open somewhere outside, and a guard shouted, only to be silenced by gunshots. Joel heard another man shouting shortly afterward, although he couldn't depict what he was saying. It sounded almost as if people in the other rooms were being let free.

"Do you hear that?" He asked, trying to turn his head far enough to see Ellie.

"The people, they're escaping. Someone's letting them out. They might come get us."

"No one's coming to get you, Joel."

He turned to see Krass, who'd been sitting on a desk the entire time, holding a shining machete in his right hand. He stood, and moved forward, revealing to Joel what'd happened to him while he'd been asleep. Krass was bleeding from a head wound, and had a tell-tale outline of teeth on his left arm from an infected bite. He was even paler than he had been when they'd first met.

"You caused this. You and your little bitch. She bit Fitz and he went fucking crazy and ate a whole bunch of people. By then it was too damn late. He got me."

Krass limped across the room, again pulled up the chair, and sat in front of Joel.

"Do you know what that means?" He asked with desperate sarcasm, "It means I'm going to fucking die. Krass Dubrovnik, beaten by some infected numbskull from America… but I don't have to die alone, oh no. I can take whoever I like with me."

"Krass, you don't have to do this."

"Oh, but I do. I don't know what the fuck is going on with the girl, and the fact that she's infected but doesn't show symptoms, or what, but I do know that she isn't any more resistant to a machete in the brain than you are."

The point of the metal lightly pressed into Joel's forehead, drawing blood out of his skin. The machete pulled back.

"You know what? A quick death is too good for you."

Joel gasped and Ellie screamed as the machete plunged into his stomach, once, and again. Dubrovnik was about to go for a third and final blow when the door burst open and an unidentified man tore him away from Joel. The machete went flying, and nearly hit Ellie in the cage. Krass was on the floor, grappling with the man lying on top of him, medical equipment and other objects being cast all over the room from their struggle. The man was in a much better state than Krass was, and he wasn't messing around. Krass foolishly let his defence slip, and the man stuck him in the face with huge force, once, and again, until the fight went out of his body. The man drew a gleaming 44. Magnum from his belt, and pointed the barrel in Krass' face.

"You." Krass managed.

The man responded.

"That's the last time you get the flank on me."

The gun fired, and it was all over.

Ellie watched through glassy eyes as the man climbed off the Russian's corpse and looked Joel over, kneeling in front of the chair. He was Caucasian, tall, and well-built, with a thick head of auburn hair and a ragged beard that'd obviously been developed in his captivity here. He sighed, ran his hand down Joel's face, and made for the door.

"Wait! Wait, please!"

The man turned, and stood stock still, looking in her direction. He walked swiftly over to the cage she was in, shot the lock off, and helped her out and onto her feet. Her entire body was aching, and she was scarred but what she'd just seen.

"Are you okay?" The man began, with an accent she'd never heard before. "God, how old are you? Fifteen? Were you with this guy?"

She looked over to Joel, still hanging limp in the chair, his blood pooling beneath him.

"Yes! Shit, we've gotta stop the bleeding! He's gotta get out of here, with us!"

"He's been badly injured; he's not going to-"

"Fuck you. He's going to make it! Now help me!"

The man was slightly taken aback by being talked to in such a way, she could see it in his expression, but he helped her either way. He checked Joel for a pulse, and then told her what needed to happen.

"Right, he's alive, just. I know someone who save him, but we've gotta him out of here as fast as possible. It's a damn long journey to where I live, but I managed to retrieve some of my stuff from when they captured me."

He drew a long, clear syringe from his backpack and showed it to her. It contained a small amount of viscous, orange liquid, which was completely unknown to her.

"What is it?"  
>"Stimulants. Adrenaline. I broke my leg a few weeks back. It's mostly healed, but this was to allow me to run on it in case I got in any shit. It increases heart rate and dulls pain, so it might just keep him alive until we can get him sorted out. First, though, we need to stop the bleeding. Do you know how to tie a tourniquet?"<p>

"No."

"Right. Get his shirt off, and we'll-"

A thought quickly sprung into her mind. If the journey was as long as he'd alluded to, Joel's wounds would worsen. She glanced at the machete lying on the floor, and it confirmed her suspicions. The handle, and the part of the blade not covered in thick red blood was caked in a thin layer of dirt.

"Wait! The machete was dirty as fuck. We've gotta clean the wounds first, right? Right?"

"Look, this whole place is going to shit, there's bandits and runners everywhere, we've gotta-"

"Help me clean his goddamn wounds!"

She made the effort to look him in the eye.

"Please."

He gave in.

"Alright, we can afford a few minutes. Look around for anything we can use to clean his wounds. Medical alcohol, whiskey-"

"I've had hours to look around this room. There's nothing here but old syringes and white vinegar."

"Vinegar? That'll do, but it'll hurt him if he's awake."

"As long as he's alive, I don't care how much it hurts."

The man nodded politely and hacked the rusted chains off the chair with the machete. Gently, he lay Joel's body down and removed the green shirt that was now plastered to his skin with blood.

"Holy shit, that's bad. I don't know about this. I could do one wound, but two?"

"He'll be alright, he's had worse. Help him!"

"Right."

Ellie handed the man the bottle of vinegar, and he poured some on his hands, and then gently applied it to the lacerations on Joel's stomach. He squirmed slightly, and moaned as the man rubbed the vinegar into the slices in his torso. Without speaking, the man deftly removed the rest of Joel's shirt, wrapped it tightly around his body, and neatly tied the sleeves together so the garment compressed the wounds. Lastly, he raised Joel's right arm, and gave him the full shot of the stimulant. Ellie was relieved, and surprised at the man's efficiency. She gently pressed her hands to the side of Joel's neck, and felt a pulse, faint but steady. It was enough to comfort her temporarily.

"That's pretty impressive. I haven't seen one done that quickly or that well before."

"Yeah, well - I have a damn good teacher."

"The one at your home?"

"Yeah."

She turned to look him in the eye, and extended her hand.

"I'm Ellie."

He returned her look, smiled warmly, and took the handshake. Her hands were dwarfed inside his, but he was surprisingly gentle.

"Adam. Now how about we get the hell out of here?"

He drew his Magnum by the barrel, and offered her the hilt. She took it carefully, in awe of the beauty and weight of the weapon in her hands.

"Now, be careful." He said, lifting Joel up and slinging him easily over his shoulders. "That's gonna kick a hell of a lot more than any nine-millimetre. I've also only got the five shots in the gun. Use them well."

They moved over to the door, and Adam gently eased it open and stuck his head out. One of the rooms was on fire, and dull gunshots could be heard alongside the screams of dying bandits and infected.

"Right." Adam said, rather too optimistically. "Let's go. There's a garage not too far from here that had a few good vehicles. Hopefully the bastards haven't taken them all."

They moved out into the corridor, with Adam taking point and Ellie following closely behind. She looked around warily, expecting to see the dead; but the only ones who didn't make it were ones wearing grey uniforms with a red circle emblazoned on their chest. They walked swiftly along the corridor for what seemed like an age, but every single door had been opened, and everyone had gone.

"Where are all the people they kept here? I don't buy it that they'd just let them go."

"No," Adam replied, "They didn't let them go. But when the guards are dead, they can't argue. I'm just glad everyone got a chance to escape."

"Who killed them all?" She asked, suspecting she already knew the answer.

He turned his head.

"I did. I wriggled out of my chains and sat in the room, waiting for the right time. There was some infected breach or something, and my guards left. Idiots. I got the drop on them and finished all their mates in the halls."

He was puffing slightly, and she could see the slight limp in his step where he'd injured his leg. He continued.

"Good riddance, I say. I've been tailing these red ringed bastards for months. I was just about to finish the job when they-"

There was a loud bang that suddenly emanated from down the hall behind them, and a bullet sped past Adam's head, missing by a fraction. Ellie pushed him hard, throwing him around the corner and into another corridor.

"Taking a detour, I guess." Adam said jokingly.

"It's that fucking sniper, the one who got me with a dart!"

"Him? Oh, that must be Marcus. No wonder he can't hit shit."

"What do we do?"

Adam thought for a moment, but Ellie answered her own question.

"He was behind the fire, right? Maybe he didn't see me. After all, the bullet was for you. If you distract him, I'll-"

"Are you sure you want to?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Two seconds."

Adam moved close to the edge of the corner that looked around into the previous corridor. He quickly stuck his head around, and saw Marcus crouching at the other end, back by where he'd killed Krass. There was another bang, and the bullet flew past Adam and struck a metal door at the bottom of the corridor.

Adam moved around the corner, and stood up tall, directly in front of the sniper.

"Marcus! I know you're still sore about me shooting you in the leg, but we can be… reasonable about this. Talk about it, like grown men."

"Fuck you, Watcher! You killed Krass! I'm gonna end you, you bastard!"

Marcus pulled the trigger, but the rifle only made a dull clicking noise.

"What's that, Marcus? Out of ammo? I told you, you should pace your shots."

Marcus drew his knife and came charging down the hall towards Adam. He didn't even get ten feet before Ellie rounded the corner and fired. The shot tore through his neck, and he flew backwards to land dead on the floor.

"Damn. Nice shooting, Tex."

"Thanks. Now, where were those cars?"

"This way."

They ran quickly through the main door and out into the courtyard, where chaos was still ravaging the compound. Almost the entirety of the facility was now on fire, and the infected were taking down the few bandits still trying to hold the fort, unknowing of their leader's death. They quickly ran through panicking hunters and infected, with Ellie taking down another red-ring soldier and two runners with the Magnum. They arrived next to Adam's pick of vehicle, a modified flatbed with a mounted LMG, and Adam carefully stowed Joel in the backseats of the truck and Ellie took shotgun next to him. The clutch was horrible and the engine was dodgy, but with a little persistence and cursing from Adam, the car revved into life, and they ploughed through the main gate of the compound and into the night.

Ellie placed the Magnum gently on the dashboard, then turned around to look at the inferno that was once Krass Dubrovnik's outpost of death. The surging flames that'd been so chaotic and angry up close were now beautiful, like a warm hearth or a gently glowing candle.

She glanced down to Joel, and saw to her relief that he was breathing steadily. She took comfort in watching the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"You handled yourself incredibly back there, Ellie. I didn't think you'd be so brave."

"It was Joel." She replied. "He taught me what it means to be brave."

"He seems like a good man. I'm glad we stopped to save him."

"Yeah, me too."

Adam picked the Magnum up off of the dashboard with his left hand, and popped open the chamber.

"One shot left. Nice. You didn't miss a single one."

She didn't reply, instead leaning against the door of the car, trying to calm her nerves. Adam spoke again, briefly.

"There's another car - that is, my car – around 7 hours north of here. We'll stop there, switch vehicles, and give him another adrenaline shot. He's going to make it, Ellie."

"I know, Adam. Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4 - The Road

She woke to the quiet humming of an engine and the autumn breeze cooling the side of her face. She stirred quietly, and yawned, gazing out of the open window to the beauty that somehow survived the storm that was the Cordyceps pandemic. She'd never truly had a chance to admire the elegance of nature; there was always a crisis or a disturbance that took priority.

The trees that couldn't survive the harshness of winter were slowly perishing, their leaves wilting and falling to the ground. Those who were resilient, however, flourished in the absence of their peers. Evergreens grew tall and majestic, not stopping for the weather or the seasons. They endured and survived, like her. It gave her hope.

Joel was an evergreen. Regardless of the beating he'd received – both physically, and worse – he stayed steadfast; always there to protect her and give her a helping hand. She hoped he'd survive, but part of her was utterly confident he would.

This new man, Adam, was something else. He was also strong, and kind and resilient, but not in the same way. Just by looking at his mannerisms and his behaviour, she could tell there was a hurt nestled deeply inside him. His overly optimistic and cocky attitude reminded her of herself; but she knew that it was just a façade, concealing something deeper within him. She thought that she would feel at unease around him, but for once, the only thing she felt was security. She and Joel hadn't seen any people in at least 8 months, and those they had met before were just like Dubrovnik and his hunters. It was reassuring to see a change.

_Desperation makes animals out of most men, _she remembered someone telling her. _Only the most vicious animals survive._

The face she saw in her memories she couldn't place, but it wore a warm smile.

_However, _the face continued, _all of the animals, no matter how strong, are weaker than the men that are left._

She thought about how long they'd been travelling. She glanced in the rear-view mirror to put her mind at ease and take solace in the steady rise and fall of Joel's chest. She wondered what awaited them at Adam's home.

"Good morning, sleepy." Adam said, glancing over to her and smiling. She saw for the first time in the daylight just how haggard his face was – sharp white cheekbones framed pained eyes that carried purple bags underneath. The hunters obviously hadn't treated him hospitably.

"We're almost to the halfway point." He said. "Soon we'll be able to lose this rust bucket and make better time."

He gestured to Joel, lying across the back seats.

"How's he doing?"

"He's fine." She replied, the relief evident in her voice. "He's doing fine."

"Good."

She wanted to ask the question that had been burning into the back of her mind, as intensely as the fire that was roaring when she heard the sniper yell. She wasn't sure how he'd take it, whether he'd answer her with anger, frustration; or just huff and puff and shrug the query off, like Joel used to. She asked anyway.

"Back there… when I killed Marcus? Before he charged, he said something about a 'Watcher'."

Adam sighed slightly, bracing for what was about to come. He wasn't too keen on discussing his past. Ellie, it seemed, was all too eager.

"I also heard it from Fitz, and that Russian bastard. What is it?"

Adam looked at himself in the rear-view mirror, remembering.

"Krass and his lackeys thought they'd hit the jackpot about ten days ago. Basically, he got the drop on a vigilante who'd been sabotaging his group's hunting efforts and killing their members in retaliation for slaughtering innocents. They captured him, and took him back to their base."

"So what?"

"So, what they didn't know was who the Watcher was. They'd only heard tales from rag-tag survivors of other hunter groups that some geared-up military sniper was murdering everyone and releasing their hostages. They said he was a vicious, psychopathic murderer who'd been killing their friends and comrades, and that he'd become so legendary that the people he rescued had taken to naming him and tagging areas around bandit camps. 'The Watcher sees all', and shit like that."

"He sounds hardcore."

"Their perception of him is as twisted as they were. The truth behind the Watcher is that he was once one of them. He had someone he cared about, and he took the steps needed to survive, regardless of how corrupt they may've been."

Adam cut off, still recalling the narrative he was telling Ellie. He lowered his voice, and quietly continued.

"Despite his efforts and his perseverance, he failed, and the person he cared about was killed by a man he though was his friend. It almost drove him mad. Since then, he dedicated his life to preventing hunters killing innocents. He'd gather intelligence, recon the groups, and eliminate them as he saw fit. He maintained a high integrity and personal strength, always keeping strong values, but… it was almost impossible for him to cope with the loss he'd suffered."

"What happened then?"

"He met someone new. Someone brilliant. Someone he saved that could pull him from his sadness, and spare everyone from Cordyceps. Unfortunately, he hasn't seen her for about two weeks."

That saddened her a little, but it was hardly surprising. People were always splitting up and getting lost in this new world, and not always voluntarily. It had happened with Tommy's; she didn't want to leave, but Joel insisted. She always followed Joel, no matter what. She kept pressing for information from Adam, intrigued by his knowledge of this man.

"Why not? Why's he been away for so long?"

"Like I said, Krass got him."

"Did he get out?"

Adam smiled dully, and looked at her.

"I don't know for certain, but last I heard, he escaped from an outpost with a little girl and a man in a stolen truck."

Realisation came to her and she scolded herself at how stupid she'd been. Everything Adam said about the Watcher was talking about himself.

"No way! You're… you're? Holy shit, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine. My fault for not telling you."

Still, Ellie wanted to hear more.

"The person you lost…" She began, "What was their name?"

Adam didn't reply. He didn't even look at her; he just sat there in silence, keeping his glass-green eyes locked on the road.

"Not yet?" Ellie asked.

"No, not yet." He replied. "Maybe sometime, but not yet."

He pointed to a clearing in the pine forest just up ahead.

"We're almost there."

The car hummed and popped, and Adam gently swung it around a corner and began driving down a rough dirt track. They rode the track for what seemed like an age, and finally pulled up outside a dilapidated and moss-covered hunting lodge. Adam flicked off the engine, and without giving Ellie a second glance, moved across the courtyard through foot-high green grass and shrubs until he came to a halt by a tarpaulin. In a swift movement he threw the musty green canvas off of what it was concealing, revealing a gleaming jet-black coupe that'd been adjusted to have wire-protected windows and raised, off-road tires. Ellie got out of the car carefully, still aching from her ordeal, and stared in awe at the vehicle in front of her. It made the bandit's makeshift flatbed look like a drivable toaster.

"Whoa… that's your car?"

"Yep. She's my baby. This place is kinda like my field-base, I was stopped here before I went to interrupt Krass' operations."

"Did you build her?"

"No, just modified her. Rest assured, she'll get us home in one piece. Anyway, we'll bring Joel into the lodge. I'd rather patch him up in there."

"Are we gonna stay the night here?"

"We should keep moving. We don't know who followed us out."

They walked together through the meadow, pine trees soaring all around and birdsong being the only noise alongside the wind. She brushed her fingers lightly over the tops of the grass that sprouted out around them, and revelled in the feeling of cool morning dew on her fingers. For once, she felt free.

"This place is beautiful."

"Yeah," Adam replied admiringly, "it is. It's funny how if you come far enough north, you mostly get away from Cordyceps. No one was here when the shit hit the fan, and so this place has remained untouched. It's almost like nothing ever happened."

They arrived on the porch, and the dull creaking of old wood accompanied them as they walked inside. The room was cosy, and well fitted, with clean supplies and a tidy set-up. A musky and comforting smell of habitation filled it, but it was obvious that no-one had been here for a couple of weeks by the fine layer of dust lying on the objects around the house.

Adam moved Joel into the middle of the room and laid him gently onto the large mahogany dining table placed there.

"Right, let's have a look. There's a medical kit over there, grab the bandages and bring them here."

Ellie did as bid, and rifled through a nearby set of drawers until she eventually came upon a small, red satchel with a faded white cross emblazoned on the front. She gently opened the flap and withdrew a large spiel of bandages, and took them over to Adam. By the time she'd gotten over to him, he'd already removed the old tourniquet and was inspecting the two large lacerations in Joel's stomach. She looked too, and was pleasantly surprised by what she saw. Instead of pus-filled crevices, the cuts were two pinkish lines in his stomach. The bleeding had stopped a while ago.

"Looks like that vinegar did the trick. His wounds are clean. Good initiative." Adam said, genuinely impressed by the results of their efforts.

"I'll tie another tourniquet to prevent any further bleeding, but his wound won't heal properly until they're closed and dressed properly. I don't have the expertise or the ability to stitch them up."

"How far away is this home of yours?"

"From here? It's another eight hours north, there or there abouts. I don't know what'll be there, though; I've been gone longer than I should've been."

"How long did your friend expect you to be away?"

"Three days. I've been gone two weeks."

Adam finished wrapping the bandages tightly around Joel's torso and pinned them together tightly. He took a brown leather pouch out of his backpack and drew out another syringe filled with that same viscous orange liquid. He lifted Joel's arm, gently pushed the needle into his vein, and pressed the liquid into his bloodstream. He stirred slightly and groaned, but stayed asleep.

"There you go, he's coming back. He's not going to wake up any time soon, but at least his brain is functioning. I was worried that we'd taken too long."

"Same." Ellie replied.

Adam made for a stationary radio communicator nestled into the back of the farthest wall. He picked up the handset, and spoke clearly into it, broadcasting to some unknown location.

"This is Watcher, calling in. Anyone there?"

There was only static. He tried again.

"Repeat, this is Watcher. Evelynn?"

Only static responded to him.

He sighed and replaced the handset into its holster.

"Don't know why I thought that'd work." He admitted solemnly. "To say the radio communication around here is dodgy is a pretty major understatement."

He walked back across the room to Ellie, and scooped Joel off of the table and into his arms.

"Who's Evelynn?" She asked, reluctant to meet any more people.

"You'll see." He said, continuing towards the door. He stopped briefly and turned to her. "She's like you. I think you two'll get on well."

Ellie took his description as fact and her feeling of unease at meeting another new person was slight subsided. They re-entered the cool morning air, dampened by the mass of fauna surrounding them. Adam bolted and padlocked the door to the lodge, then moved over to his coupe. He quickly opened the door and stowed Joel on the backseats, lying him as straight as possible. The inside of Adam's car was incredibly clean, with a grey-ish leather upholstery that smelled almost new and looked even better. To her surprise, Adam didn't get in the car.

"What're you doing?" She asked, turning to watch him move back over to the bandit's truck. "Haven't we gotta move quickly?"

He grabbed the top of the mounted LMG and pulled.

"Yep," he said as he strained, "but the whole point of this place is it looks abandoned. We're gonna get rid of this car, then move on."

The turret finally gave in under his strength, and the LMG snapped free of its makeshift bipod.

"Plus, this is a nice fucking gun." He cut a smug grin.

The next hour consisted of the two pushing the bandit car into a nearby river and watching it become overwhelmed by the water. They sat on the riverbank, watching the current claim the car, and sat soaking in the beauty of the surrounding area as they filled each other in on how they got caught by Krass' red-ringed hunters.

"… So he rescued me from the Fireflies. He said there were lots like me, dozens actually, and that the Fireflies were only using them as lab rats… but, I don't know. Why would they go through all that effort just to fuck us over? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

"That's fair enough." Adam countered, "I've heard mixed things about the Fireflies. Haven't ventured far enough south to have a run-in with them, though."

He turned to face her, and looked in her eyes. In his, she thought she could now see a dull sense of hope after she told him what she was.

"So, you're immune?" He began. "Not like a carrier, but actually linked to the affliction?"

"Yeah. The bite I got healed super quick, and apparently it's in my brain or some shit, but it's co-existing, and safe."

"Interesting." He said thoughtfully, staring deeply into the rushing blue-green water of the river. "And then?"

"We stayed at Tommy's for a couple years, but Joel said we had to leave. I go where he goes."

Adam huffed, and continued.

"It's rare to find comradery like that nowadays."

He picked up a small, rounded grey pebble, and lazily flung it towards the water's edge. It struck the water at just the right angle and skipped a few times across the surface before plunging under halfway across.

"Yeah. Well, I owe him and he owes me."

"I get the feeling it's something more than that."

She contemplated momentarily.

"Yeah, I suppose it is."

The sun was almost high in the sky now – it was nearing midday. They'd only been gone for just over an hour, but she felt the need to return to Joel. Adam obviously did too, as he spoke up first.

"Right. Let's go back to the car. We can talk more as we walk."

The two stood and carefully scaled the riverbank, ascending back up into the pine forest. The smells of nature were all around – the wet of the trees, the dry of the sun, the musk of the dirt. Ellie let the scents fill her lungs and breathed deeply, wallowing in the contrast between this place and Krass'.

They wandered over fallen logs and fences, taking a shorter route back to the lodge.

"So, why were you out that day? Why were you after the red-rings?"

"I'd got a lead and had been following a recon group of five guys for a few days before hand. Marcus was one of them. Saw them capture a couple of survivors and kill them on shortly afterwards. Shot the bastard in the leg as a deterrent. The subtle irony of it was that they killed three people, but only took a penknife, a pistol and a watch. They didn't even bloody eat them, which is what I thought they were going to do. They just left the corpses there; a pointless waste of life. Anyway, I followed them for a few days, waiting to strike properly. That's when I found they'd set up a town as a lure for more survivors."

"Damn, with a general store in the high-street? That's where they got us."

"Their plan worked, then." He said with frustration, before continuing. "After I found their little ploy, I headed back home and got kitted up. Got back down there a few days later to find their operation in full swing. I killed four of them before Dubrovnik flanked me, but it seems they kept at it anyway. I even lost my bloody sniper rifle."

"Joel killed one of them, too."

"Good. They didn't deserve to live, hunting people for food… times may get hard, really hard, but you at least think people would have a little fucking integrity."

"I'm guessing you'd steer away from human burgers, then?"

"You know it."

They walked for about another five minutes under the canopy of the forest, watching the birds and listening in silence. Eventually, Adam piped up again.

"These red-ring bandits… they're not like the others, Ellie. They're an organised syndicate, being run by some commander who actually knows what he's doing. I assure you, Dubrovnik's base was only the tip of the iceberg. If we run into any more of them, don't engage them. Don't even talk to them. Just leave them be. If they do anything drastically out of line, that's when we step in."

"Gotcha. What if we don't have a choice?"

"I'm sure you know what to do if you don't have a-"

Adam froze, and stood completely still. Ellie, seeing his reaction, did the same.

"Get down." He whispered.

She did as she was told, and the two lowered themselves down into the carpet of leaves, shadowed by the side of the lodge. By the car, there were two people, peeking in at Joel. There was a third trying to get the door of the lodge open. She saw only one of them had a gun – one of the 9mm pistols the bandits carried – holstered in his belt.

"Ramone, come look at this!"

"Damn, that's a nice car. That thing's being cared for."

"Yeah, I know. There's a guy in the back, he's wounded and asleep by the looks of it. What do you want to do?"

"I know what I'm gonna do." Adam whispered to Ellie.

He silently got up, deftly for a man his size, and drew the machine gun from his back. He moved over to the wall of the lodge, and beckoned for her to come over. She moved with equal silence, and he once again handed her his 44. Magnum.

"We go round the back. I raise my gun, you don't. You don't touch that trigger unless I tell you. Clear?"

"Y-Yeah." She said, slightly taken unawares by the bluntness of his statement. It was almost like the caring, eloquent Adam was gone, and business Adam had taken his place.

The two skirted quickly around the exterior of the lodge, and moved around the corner. Adam raised the machine gun and moved into the open.

"Mike, c'mon. Stop trying to get into the lodge and help us-"

"Oh shit!"

"Everyone on your knees!" Adam commanded as he moved forward. "Now!"

The two by the car did as they were told, and the guy by the door raised his hands but stayed standing.

"Calm down, son. We're not looking for any trouble."

"I'm not planning on causing any." Adam said back, still raising his gun. "But we can never be too sure. You two by the car, stay there. You, by the lodge – Mike, is it? – on your knees. Ellie, get his gun."

She followed his orders an approached the man now kneeling on the porch of the lodge. She didn't make eye contact with him, but she could see the blatant surprise in his face from the fact a 16 year old girl was holding a gun to his head. She plucked the 9mm from his belt, tossed it at Adam's feet and then moved back over to him.

"You. Over here."

The man moved away from the lodge and kneeled next to his two friends. One was a woman, and looked to be around twenty, with blond hair and a large cut on her lip. The second was a man with dark skin, almost as big as Adam, but much younger. The third man, the one who was by the lodge, was haggard and old, and looked to be at least a decade Adam's elder. None of them wore a red circle.

"Why're you here? How'd you find this place?"

The old man spoke for the other two.

"Son, we just stumbled across this place. We've been wandering since someone let us out of the hunter base we were trapped in. the guards were all dead, and we slipped out past the infected."

"They're saying it was the Watcher who let us out!" The woman blurted.

Adam hesitated for a second, and then lowered his machine gun.

To Ellie's surprise, he didn't reveal that it was him who rescued them.

"Alright. You're not red-rings."

"No, damn right we're not!"

He offered the old man his hand.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes, of course."

He whipped out a key, and placed it in the old guy's hand.

"Here's the key to the lodge. There's food in there; a couple of deer I got a few weeks back. They should be fine. If not, there's a river a couple of kilometres that way." He gestured into the forest, and then continued.

"Stay here as long as you want to. Just lock up when you leave."

He smiled kindly, but the old man just stood there, speechless. The dark-skinned man, Ramone, stood and put his hand on Adam's shoulder.

"Shit man, thank you so much! We've been walking for almost two days. Joan's doing okay, but I'm not so sure about the old guy. You cool with us staying here?"

"Yeah." Adam replied. "We were heading off anyway. We've gotta get the guy in the car some medical attention."

"Shit, yeah… he don't look so good. Anyway, thanks man. Ain't had anyone be this kind before. Be careful out there."

"You too."

Before he got in the car, he had a last-minute thought, and doubled back.

"Hey!"

Ramone turned around as well.

"Yeah?"

"There's a radio in there that has a direct line to my base. It can also be used on other frequencies. It's a little dodgy, but if you need anything, drop me a line."

Ramone nodded, and led the other two inside the lodge.

Adam got in the driver's seat and put the machine gun in the back with Joel. Ellie took shotgun again, and leaned back, in awe at the comfort of the leather seats. It was a massive step-up from the ridiculously thin foam-cushions on the seats of the bandit car.

He shut his door, and started the engine. The coupe easily reached ignition and purred quietly, not choking or spluttering like the bandit's shitty flatbed had. They pulled off, and drove up the dirt track in silence. After turning left back onto the highway, Ellie spoke up.

"Why did you give them your lodge? I thought you used it often."

"I do." Adam countered, "But they had an old man and a young woman. They needed it more than I do. So, they got it."

They sat in silence for a little while before Adam continued.

"It's… it's what I do. It just seemed right."

Ellie didn't respond, but admired him more for that.

"You might want to try and sleep again. There's a long journey ahead."

"Will do."

She would sleep later. For now, she was content to sit and watch Joel's steady breathing.


	5. Chapter 5 - Practical Joker

There were silhouettes following her.

She couldn't see them, but she knew they were there. Their presence bore into her conscience, and she only received messages of hostility.

The footsteps they made grew closer, then faded again, warping any sense of distance she tried to calculate. She sometimes thought she had outrun it, only to be shocked all over again when they appeared right behind her. They grew and raged, shrunk and whimpered, and continued to press after her. They yelled and hollered behind her.

Then she managed to deduct some of the things they were saying.

She couldn't place the words at first; they were almost non-existent, yet so real at the same time. Her brain soaked them in, but struggle to process them and put meaning behind them. She concentrated on what she was hearing, and the shouts became clearer.

_"... They're headed to pediatrics, after them!"_

_"There, I see them!"_

_"Go, get the flank!"_

_"Get back!" _A voice closer to her responded in desperation.

_"There's nowhere to run!"_

_"He's in my sights!"_

_"I SAID GET BACK!"_

A succession of loud bangs cut through the air, and a volley of bullets flew towards her face.

She woke with a sharp jolt, and hit the side of her head against the window of the car.

"Aw, motherfucker!"

Looking in the window, she saw she was in a horrible state aesthetically. With her unkempt red mop of hair, a dirt-clad face, arms caked in burgundy blood, and the burns on her face and arms from the fire in the compound, she looked like a dirty vagabond. Or a hobo. She sighed in frustration, and sat up properly in the seat.

"Bad dream?" Adam asked, flicking his goggles up to look at her. It was almost as if he had read her mind. She saw that the area around his eyes was discoloured, and as such was a dark purple – he obviously hadn't slept since they departed from the hunting lodge.

"I just… slept heavy." She replied, holding her arms together. She was covered in a thin film of ice-cold sweat.

"Have you slept?" She asked.

"Nope." Came her reply.

"Goddamn. How long have we been driving?"

"About 8 hours, on top of the 7 it took us to get to the lodge. Doesn't matter anyway, we're almost there. I've missed this place."

She gazed out the window, but there wasn't much new to see. The scenery was similar to how it was at the lodge; pines grew tall, dominating the tops of the forest. Darkness had overwhelmed the plantations, and she calculated it was very early in the morning. Adam was driving with the lights off, and this allowed her surprisingly good vision. She looked over the fields of pines, and occasionally they relented to reveal a ruined farmhouse or ranch.

She looked up, and was amazed by what she saw. The night sky blazed, with thousands upon thousands of little white and yellow beads shining brightly. They almost hurt her eyes when she looked straight at them. Despite the light provided by the stars, the moon was nowhere to be seen, and was masquerading behind the soaring evergreens.

Adam had flicked his goggles down again, and he looked hilariously comical. She couldn't get past the humour of the gigantic black binoculars strapped to his head by a minimalist piece of fabric. She chuckled slightly, and eventually burst out laughing, unable to contain herself. He looked like a super villain from one of the comics she'd read.

He grinned, and then responded.

"What's so funny that it's got you in stitches?"

She tried to tell him between guffaws.

"I'm sorry, it's just – oh my god. You look like a friggin' evil genius. All of them had goofy goggles. What even are those?"

He responded with a gentle chuckle, obviously happy to have someone to take him away from the boredom of having to stay awake alone. Joel wasn't exactly talkative at the moment.

"If you must know, they're Infared goggles, so I can see to drive without lighting the car up and letting anyone know we're here. Plus, they look awesome. I just need the vampire cape, and we're all set!"

"You gonna play the piano all dramatically, too?" She said between chuckles, though a wide grin.

"You know it. Might even invest in a midget that looks just like me."

She laughed out loud at that one, and the two sat there giggling for a while. She leaned back into the leather set, enjoying a comfort that was rare in this new world.

She hadn't known what to think of Adam, but his first impression was a good one. No one had a sense of humour anymore, and her wise-cracks and puns went amiss on everyone she came across. She had a feeling he would appreciate them, and even counter them. He was almost like a big brother – funny and caring, but with the capacity to be strong and selfless.

She knew that even though she met someone decent, she couldn't get too attached.

_We're the only two that matter._ Joel had told her once. _Anyone wants to come with us, fine. But if it all goes south, we stay together, and move on. No matter what._

She knew nothing about Evelynn, but she hoped deep down that Joel wouldn't take that attitude towards Adam.

She took to scanning the terrain again, trying to ignore the cramping in her legs and back from the journey. The highway they'd followed had changed from durable, four-lane asphalt to a single-lane tarmac road that was in a much worse state. Still, with Adam's adjustments to the coupe, the journey wasn't an uncomfortable one, just a little jumpy. The car was almost silent as it rolled over potholes with ease.

She yawned, and he followed suit.

"Now you've got me doing it." He said lightly.

"Not surprising, given how long we've been driving. Are we almost there?"

Adam moved over to her slightly, and pointed at a hill to her left.

"There it is."

She was befuddled.

"Wha-what? There's nothing there."

"Exactly." He chuckled, satisfied that the camouflage he set up had served its purpose. "Don't worry, it's there."

She was curious as to where on earth they were headed, up here in the mountains.

"What are you holed up in out here?"

Adam laughed a little. "Funny you word it like that, actually. Evelynn and I found an abandoned mining facility up here. It was small-time, but it was more than large enough for two people. The place had basic facilities like bunkrooms and kitchens, but on further inspection, we found it had a small hydroelectric system hooked up to an underground stream. It has three turbines, but they're loud as all hell, so we run one for 24 hours every week or so, and it gives us more than enough power."

She hadn't seen working electricity in what seemed like a lifetime.

"Wow, seriously?"  
>"Yeah. They were pretty dilapidated when I found them, but I fixed the one we use. The place had been abandoned a few years before the shit all went down, so there're no infected there. Never have been."<p>

"Huh."

The car purred and revved slightly as they exited the B-road and made onto a small concrete roadway that approached and ascended the hill Adam had pointed out to her. Gradually, the grass and roots of trees had grown under and penetrated the concrete, splitting it into ragged chunks that were now being covered in a thick and vivid green moss. Vines and crawling fauna hung off a rusted chain-link fence that had once been the boundary to the site. The gate was long gone.

From afar, the entryway was completely camouflaged, just another blue-black hill jutting from the ground, with everything bar the entryway of the road being obscured by pines. The trees looked young - they were tall, but dwarfed by their peers in the thicker forest. It was obvious to her now that they had been planted at a later date. They couldn't be more than a decade old, compared to the others, which were at least 20 years their elder.

The roadway continued for around five minutes, until they plateaued out around halfway up the hill. She could see now that there had originally been a large set-up of buildings here – all of which had been carefully disassembled, and only their grey-green concrete foundations remained, large chunks of artificial creation in a midst of natural beauty.

Adam pulled the car to a halt, and removed his goggles. Upon grabbing a flashlight from the glove box, he exited the car and walked towards a cliff that erupted out of the plateau and continued up about another ten meters. The beam of the flashlight cut through the darkness of the night, illuminating the wall. She saw him approach the cliff face, and realised that there was a camouflaged net that covered a small cave. The cave in question was dwarfed by its neighbour – a large, manmade concrete opening led into a black abyss.

Adam put the flashlight between his teeth, and pulled the net up, placing it over a metal bar that he'd installed just above the mouth. He illuminated himself, then turned to the car beckoned Ellie forward.

She was unsure what he was getting at, until he gestured in a way similar to using a steering wheel.

"Wha – You want me to drive this thing?" She shouted out the window.

She saw him nod.

"Alright…" She said, shuffling into the driver's seat, trying to make the best of the situation. "Thank-you for flying Air Ellie, we hope you have a safe trip… and that your pilot can actually fucking drive this thing."

Despite the quiet and well-maintained noise the engine made, the thought of driving the beast that Adam had had speeding at nearly 120 miles per hour for most of the way here made her a little apprehensive. She had popped a clutch a few times, and driven a pickup for a while, but her experience wasn't exactly in-depth.

She huffed in annoyance at how she couldn't reach the pedals, and searched for a lever. She found it, and heaved the chair forward quite a way.

"Regrettably, your captain is short as hell." She said to herself, trying to abate her apprehension with humour.

She gently pressed the accelerator. Adam had left it in first, thank god. The car edged forward, and she gently steered it into the cave, stopping when Adam tapped the side of the car. She got out to find him opening the door and picking Joel over his shoulder.

"He okay?" She asked, not having checked up on him in a while.

"Yeah." Adam replied, happier than she thought he'd be, having suffered from aggressive interrogation and sleep deprivation. "He's in damn good hands now. C'mon, it's this way. Grab the flashlight."

She hesitated slightly as he moved towards the black hole in the cliff face.

"What? You mean in there?"

"Yeah!" He extended a hand to her. "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe."

She hesitated again for a moment, but took his hand. They walked into the abyss, and she clicked on the flashlight. The cave was a lot colder than the outside, and the outside wasn't exactly a tropical paradise. She shivered and wrapped her jacket more tightly around herself as she walked forward. Stalagmites were abundant, and water was dripping from the ceiling, giving an eerie feeling to the place. There was a crisply cut concrete path that stood out from the raggedness of the rock, and they descended together, with Ellie taking point.

"Right, just down here. There should be a room that's half fallen away."

They walked for about five minutes, going down. Sure enough, they found the room in the lower part of the cave. Adam said that it used to be a gateway, or a checkpoint, used to scan miners for chemicals and other toxins after they came up from. Almost half of the room had collapsed in under damp-rot, but the rubble had been moved into hole where the cave dramatically veered to the left.

"Hey," she asked, aiming the flashlight down the cave to the left, and noticing it had been bricked up by cinder blocks. "What's down there?"

"No clue." Adam's voice replied quietly, just next to her. "That was walled up when we got here. Haven't had the need to go down there."

"Do you ever want to?"

His voice grew quieter as he walked away from where she was standing, back into room.

"Nope. We've never seen any infected here, but I have no idea how deep that tunnel goes, nor if there's anyone in there."

She heard him gently place Joel down on the floor.

"Come over here and help me with this, please."

She walked over to him. Standing next to him, and slightly taller than he was, were two sturdy metal cabinets placed next to each other. When illuminated, it was obvious they were covering a large, wheel-clamped door, but in the darkness, it would go unnoticed.

They heaved one cabinet out of the way, then the second. The door that was pressed into the wall was like something out of a sci-fi - it looked like an airlock, or a door on a submarine. When she asked Adam, he said that that was basically it. If there was a gas leak or chemical explosion in the lower reaches of the mine, they could seal the lock and stay in the bunkrooms until the air had cleared, or until rescue arrived.

Adam opened the first door with ease, despite it being very stiff. It swung inwards, and he gently picked Joel off the floor and placed in inside the small room. A second door was placed in the back wall of the tiny room, identical to the first.

Ellie stepped inside, and Adam pulled both the cabinets back in front of the door, stepped inside himself, and sealed the door behind him. He picked Joel up deftly, and held him in his arms. It looked unusual to Ellie to see her father-figure in such a vulnerable state.

"Right, you'll have to get that one. Sorry."

"It's fine." She said, gripping the wheel that jutted from the front of the door.

"Lefty loosey, righty tighty." Adam said humorously, almost chastising her.

She chose not to respond, and turned as hard as she could. She strained, and made no progress. She tried a second time with similar results. On the third attempt, the wheel budged, and there was a loud clang as the bolt in the door shifted. She pushed gently, and it swag open, revealing the atrium in front of her.

There was a large, roomy cave, with a path veering off to the left that led to another door like the ones they just emerged from. The floor would originally have been all concrete slabs, but some had been removed in order to reveal a stream that flowed calmly through the middle of the ground, in from one wall and out the other. The whole place was lit by industrial lights that gleamed from their bulbs, forcing her to cover her eyes as she adapted to the brightness. Before her, there was a small, improvised metal bridge over the stream that allowed entry to the bunkrooms. Like the previous room, a lot of the complex had been removed, and the front rooms lay exposed.

Adam came through the door, and shut it lazily with his foot.

"Lights are on." He said optimistically. "Let's hope someone's home."

He took point, and trudged forward with his worn hiking boots reverberating off the stone floor. She could see a slight arch in his back where he was fatigued. Despite his height and build, holding Joel for such a long time had taken its toll.

"Evie?" He said as he walked over the bridge, into the first of the half-deconstructed concrete rooms. "Evie?" He said again, raising his voice.

In one of the rooms further back, something clattered to the floor.

He gently nudged open the door into another room, and quietly inquired again.

"Evie?"

He stepped backwards a few paces. The door opened fully, and a tall, slender woman with long black hair emerged. She was dressed plainly, in olive-green khakis and a white singlet. On her left arm, she wore a mass of colourful and beautiful tattoos. She slowly walked up to him, and placed her hand on his face.

"Adam." She said, tearing up. "I… It's been over two weeks. I thought you'd…"

"I know." He replied. "I almost thought that too."

It was then she noticed the wounded man he was carrying.

"See you've made a couple of new friends, Mr Watcher." She slowly took her hand off his face, and turned to face Ellie.

"Hi there." She said, surprisingly casually. Her accent was from the same area as Joel's. "I'm Evelynn. Don't worry; we can get your buddy fixed up."

"Ellie."

"You did well to get back here in one piece, Ellie. I trust Adam wasn't too much trouble." She smiled warmly at Ellie, then turned back to Adam and lowered her voice. "It's been chaos since you've been gone. I had a scare the other day. There were some people walking through the forest on the hill to the north, right by us. The fucking generator was on at the time. I sat in the base for 3 days, just holding your shotgun. Now, some guy has been radioing, asking for you. I haven't replied."

She leant forward, and hugged him tightly over Joel.

"Fuck, I've missed you so much."

He chuckled thankfully, revelling in the warmth of the embrace he'd missed for just over a fortnight.

"I've missed you too. But we've got all night to talk. This guy doesn't have that luxury."

Evelynn drew back, surprised that she'd let her girlish side overwhelm that of her professionalism.

"Oh, right. What's his name?"

"Joel." Ellie blurted, more desperately than she'd intended.

"Well, Joel's going to be just fine. Adam, bring him through, please."

"Right. Ellie, you should go and rest. My room is just through-"

"No!" She said, the desperation appearing in her voice again. She lowered her tone, and quietly said:

"I go where he goes."

Adam stood there, contemplating. Evelynn chuckled, and shoved him lightly on the shoulder.

"Let the girl watch, Adam. It's not like it's a vasectomy."

"Evelynn-"

"What's a vasectomy?" Ellie asked, baffled.

"Relax, girls." Evelynn countered jokingly, laughing. "I'm just fucking with you. C'mon."

They walked through one door, then another. The room they entered next was a full medical set-up, with life-support, a proper bed, and a huge array of medical equipment that wowed Ellie the moment she walked in. Even Adam looked surprised.

"You've been cleaning." He said.

"Yeah." She countered, gathering syringes. She stuck one in the top of a bottle and drew out some of the translucent liquid as Adam gently laid Joel on the table. Evelynn put on a medical mask, and sat down next to the table. "Well, when your boyfriend's gone missing, you need something to calm your nerves."

Before she could start, Ellie interrupted.

"How'd you manage to get all this stuff up here?"

Evelynn turned to faced her, and answered with an anecdotal response.

"A lot of time, and a lot of gas."

The response didn't set her at ease in the slightest; she cared deeply for Joel's safety, as much as he cared for hers.

"Are you sure she knows what she's doing?" She said, not really directing the question at either of them, but more thinking out loud.

"Of course." Adam said, taken aback a little by the bluntness of Ellie's query.

Evelynn turned, and looked at her. She responded, with more seriousness this time around.

"I may be a practical joker when I want to be, but I went to university. I know what I'm doing."

"Evie is phD in Biochemistry and Human Biology. She studied for eight years, and spent two in the Marines as a Medicinal Officer."

Ellie wasn't convinced, and Evelynn could tell.

"Do you want to come and sit by him? You can help, if you like."

After a moment of hesitation, she gave her reply.

"Okay."

She moved cautiously over the concrete floor, pulled over a small metal chair, and sat down next to the bed. Joel was still asleep, and he looked more peaceful than she'd ever seen him. The creases in his forehead and between his eyebrows were ironed out, and he looked calm for once in his life.

Evelynn handed her a medical mask, and she slid it over her hair and down to cover her mouth.

Adam walked up beside Evelynn.

"Have fun, Dr. Stroud. I'm gonna go get cleaned up."

"Alright." She said, and lifted her mask to kiss him. "Don't you go running off again."

"Yes ma'am." He said politely, and took his leave from the room.

Evelynn put on a pair of thin, plastic gloves, and began to unwind Joel's tourniquet to begin her examination.

"Huh, that's lucky. I didn't expect the wounds to be so… clean."

"We doused them in vinegar." Ellie retorted. "Before we left, I mean."

Evelynn had removed Joel's damp tourniquet, revealing the two three-inch long pink crevices in his stomach. She had already sterilised and prepped all of the equipment she was going to use. If Ellie hadn't been convinced by Adam reinforcing Evelynn's qualifications, she was now swayed by the sudden change of personality she'd displayed. The Joker had taken a back seat, and the Doctor now held the reigns. Ellie had never seen a professional surgeon in action; they'd put her to sleep when she was with the Fireflies. She was thoroughly inspired, and she said as much to Evelynn.

"I don't know about professional surgeon." She replied idly as she concentrated on threading a tiny thickness of black wire through the top of a pristine silver needle. "More like science major playing around with syringes and seeing what happens. But, thanks. It does mean a lot." She placed the threaded needle gently on the silvery metal tray that she'd positioned on a small table to her left.

She leaned over his body, and gestured towards the wounds.

"I ran a quick assessment based on cross-references." She said quickly, coming across as a typical science-type. She angled her head up to face Ellie, and looked into her eyes inquisitively. Evelynn had beautiful blue eyes – the colour of the midday sky, or a tropical ocean, glassy and bright.

"And I deducted that the wounds – looking like they were made with a hunting machete – steered conveniently clear of his intestines, with one grazing a kidney, and the other penetrating his appendix."

She sat back in the chair, and slid her mask down onto her throat to talk.

"This scar here though – from another laceration, I assume? – how did he respond to that?"

Ellie cautiously replied, trying her hardest to avoid mentioning her scare with the cannibals, and her horrific encounter with David.

"He… he fell. He fell onto something, I never saw what."

"I meant, how well did he carry the wound, and how did you treat it? I take it you were with him at the time."

"Yeah, the whole damn time. He tried to pretend it wasn't there, to walk it off and be tough like he always does. As for treating it? Well… I dunno. I just rammed him full of antibiotics, and luckily he woke up just in time to get me away from-"

She remembered.

_You can try beggin'._

"…to get me out of some… trouble, I was in."

She wasn't ready to reveal that story to Evelynn, or Adam; no more than he was willing to discuss his loss.

"Well, whoever stabbed him wasn't very strong." Evelynn stated, forever the optimist. "A machete like that should've gone straight through him."

"You're saying that he was lucky?"

"I'm saying that he was incredibly lucky." She stood and walked over to a nearby counter, almost as clean as her metal tray of implements had been, glittering in the high-powered lights of the room, and gathered more equipment.

"Anyone can survive on one kidney, and the appendix became useless ages ago. There is deep tissue damage to his abdominals, but nothing that can't be remedied and worked around." She fiddled and faffed with implements, organising various items and bottles onto another gleaming metal tray. "That being said, he won't be doing sit-ups any time soon."

She giggled slightly to herself, and wandered lazily back over to the operating table, moving the first tray to the side and replacing it with the one she had organised a moment ago. She placed a couple of plastic and paper patches connected to multi-coloured wires to Joel's forehead, heart, and left wrist. Following this, she flicked a small black button with the heel of her boot, and the machine behind her came online, next to where Joel lay. The lights on the ceiling flickered a little, and then levelled out, adapting to the change in distribution of electricity. The machine beeped softly every few seconds.

"Hear that?" She asked Ellie, a wide smile on her face. "That's him. He's alive."

Ellie returned the smile, relieved that she could finally feel certain that he would pull through this calamity. She placed her hand gently on his forehead, and whispered gently to him.

"C'mon, big guy. You've had worse." Then she added, "I miss you, Joel."

Evelynn still wore the genuine smile she donned a few moments before. She gently took hold of Ellie's wrist, and moved her hand from Joel's forehead and back into her lap.

"I know you miss him, Ellie. He'll be okay, though, don't worry." She paused slightly, and then continued. "You might not want to be here for this next bit, though." She drew her mask back up over her mouth and picked up a long, silvery-white and razor sharp scalpel from her tray.

"Wha… why not? What're you doing?"

"The kidney should heal, but his appendix has to come out. If I don't remove it now, it'll get all infected and become a severe problem later. And later might not be in a room with a full laboratory set-up."

Surprisingly, Ellie felt the need to adhere to Evelynn's advice. It was a peculiar sensation, as she was more than conditioned to be comfortable around dealing with blood and gore – one had to be, surviving in this world, where every day was just another chance to be eaten, or shot. She didn't know why she was so repulsed at the thought of seeing Joel being operated on, but it just frightened her, in a deep and almost primal way.

Evelynn was awaiting her answer, with a scalpel in her right hand and a syringe full of liquid in her left.

"Adam's room is through the door there, and through the next room, if you want to go talk to him. I might be a while; I need to do this carefully." She gestured out through the metal door they entered from, to another one, in the adjacent wall.

"Okay." She said, getting up from her seat and walking slowly towards the door. She turned back and left Evelynn with a final spoken thought.

"Please do everything you can for him."

"Of course." Evelynn smiled warmly. "Of course, I will."

Ellie turned away and walked out the door, mulling over what she had just seen with apprehension.

Around the iris of Evelynn's bright blue eyes were tiny streaks of yellow-green, almost entirely unobservable by anyone who wasn't looking for them. She'd thought she'd seen the same with Adam, but his eyes were green, so she'd need to get a closer look. That tell-tale callsign had been burned onto her subconscious at a young age, always being a thing she prioritised when meeting new people.

Dilated and yellowed pupils were a characteristic trait of subjects infected with Cordyceps.


	6. Chapter 6 - Confrontation

The thin, cold metal door swung open to reveal an expanse in front of her; a busy and largely cluttered space, surrounded by walls that were thick with maps and pictures. Some of the pictures were drawn on; others had knives or darts wedged in them. There was a good wall, and a bad wall, she deducted.

On the good wall, there were pictures of people smiling, and embracing, and even some pictures from the time before Cordyceps. She stood in front of the wall, taking in the sights of life and happiness that were immortalised on small-ish pieces of paper. There was a man driving a truck on a huge road packed with vehicles, five men standing together, all dressed in military uniform, and many more. On the image of the military men, the right-hand edge was torn off, leaving the sixth man unidentifiable. One image caught her eye, and for a second she thought it was a picture of Adam, until she leaned in for a closer inspection. When it was seen up close, there were small differences between Adam and the beautiful woman in the picture. They both shared glass-green eyes and auburn hair, but hers was considerably longer, falling in copper waves behind her head. Her jaw was a lot less chiseled and her chin more pointed, and she grinned warmly at Ellie from the wall. The image was almost as old as the one with the men in uniform, one of which she identified as Adam. The other faces meant nothing to her.

The bad wall wasn't as pleasant. There weren't only pictures of faces, but of places as well – photographs of buildings and segments of maps. The images on this wall were linked by pieces of string, all in separate trees from each other, but sharing a common theme. These were the men that Adam hunted, in order to save the people they'd captured. She worked out his system of identification drawn on the pictures fairly quickly; a blue cross was an unknown death, a black cross was the target being taken out by infected or survivors and a red cross was a hit he'd made himself.

Blue crosses were fairly common, black sparse, and red crosses dominated the wall. Adam didn't mess around when it came to business – that much was obvious to her. She scanned a few of the trees, most of which she had no connection to, and saw red crosses drawn over the photographs of the people at the top, who she assumed must've been leaders before they were killed. She was surprised by how efficient he was – he'd killed almost one hundred of the people on the wall himself. She flinched when she saw he'd even been tracking David and his group – a photograph of his face was drawn over by a black cross. The sight of him sent a shiver through her, and she quickly moved on to the largest tree on the wall.

At the bottom were five men – Marcus, Fitz, and three others she didn't recognise. Linked to them by red string was a photograph of a tall apartment building, outfitted with a sniper roost on the rooftop. All five men had crosses, three with red, Fitz and Marcus with black. The roost was also crossed out with red, the word 'destroyed' written beneath it in block capitals.

The next tier up showed a dozen men in a variety of poses, none of which she knew. All of them were crossed out with red, bar one who had been classed as unknown. The ink was still fresh, and the smell of it was unusual to her as it seeped into her sinuses. Adam had only recently updated his tracking system.

There was a third tier, with a picture of the outpost that they'd been captured and taken to against their will. The word 'burned' was written beneath the red cross obscuring the picture, again in capitals. Above that, there was a single image.

It made her squirm. Krass Dubrovnik's ridiculously straight and sinister white smile stretched across his gaunt face, with his cold eyes burrowing into her through the red X that was scored across his portrait. The words "Lieutenant Bastard" were written on the wall next to his picture. Ellie giggled slightly, and continued to examine the tree.

Above that was a large, blank space, presumably where Adam was still meant to find leads on the red-rings. At the top of the wall, almost by the ceiling, was the missing part of the military men image. It showed a tall man with muddy-brown hair and facial scarring, attempting to smile at the camera. Next to his image, Adam had copied the bandit's red-ring crest onto the wall. Next to that, he had just written "HIM."

She squinted up at the top image, trying to depict more features of the man. After a small while of fruitless attempts, she turned her gaze back to exploring the room, and saw a large cabinet of high-end weaponry that she was surprised she'd managed to overlook. She walked over slowly, and inspected the stock that was hanging silently on the rack. There must've been nearly 20 weapons, with 2 crates filled with ammunition lying on the floor next to them. Some of the shapes were similar to her – she saw Adam's gleaming 44. Magnum, still shining as brightly as it had in her hand, despite it kicking worse than a pissed-off horse. Next to that was the light machine gun he'd stolen from the back of the bandit's flatbed. It'd been given a good and thorough clean, and was dully reflecting light off its matte-black surface. She saw the words 'M240B' written carefully on the side of the gun in white paint.

There were SMGs and pistols galore, and the biggest sniper rifle she'd ever seen. It was nearly a meter in length, with a huge scope that was almost as long as the Magnum. She placed her hand on the green-and-orange patterned metal, and ran her fingers up the smooth, cold surface.

"SRR-61 Anti-Materiel rifle." A voice said from behind her. She turned to see Adam, leaning against the doorway to the room. He had shaved, revealing his rugged jawline, and he was still damp from cleaning himself. He wore a simple black vest with desert khakis, revealing his toned and large arms, one of which he had a large white bandage wrapped around. He looked like he'd just exercised, and his muscles were puffed up and tense, all the way down to his hands where he was carrying a trencher of piping-hot meat covered in some kind of sauce.

"Sorry," He said courteously, walking into the room. "I felt I needed to do some work lifting weights. I didn't exactly have a chance to recently."

Ellie hadn't heard of that technique of exercise before, but Adam was blatant proof that it worked. She'd never seen anyone so toned; she assumed he'd been that way for a long time, since his days in the military.

"Lifting weights? What'd that accomplish, apart from being a pain in the ass afterwards?"

"More like pain in the arms, but I understand what you're saying. You start on a lower weight, and slowly scale it upwards as you proceed." He gestured to the two large, cast-iron dumbbells that sat silently next to the gun rack.

"Shit, they look heavy."

"20 kgs per dumbbell."

"Shit, they are heavy."

He chuckled gently, and moved over to her, extending the plate of piping hot meat. "For you." He said, and gestured it toward her.

At her hesitation to take it, he elaborated.

"Don't worry, it's venison. Evie caught a deer a few days back."

At the sound of Evelynn's name she flinched slightly, remembering the pale green and yellow flecks around her irises.

_ You're infected too, genius._ She thought.

The venison didn't stand a chance, and she began demolishing the plate of food. She was sullenly surprised by how hungry she was – how long it had it been since she'd eaten? Six days, a week? The meat was rich, and unbelievably fresh, and she rolled it around her mouth, reveling in the warmth and the earthen flavours and aromas it gave off. It'd been a long time since she'd had anything except canned tuna and stale bread. Through her appetite, she had forgotten to offer Adam any.

"Oh shit, do you want some?" She said with guilty humour, her mouth half full.

"No thanks, I've already eaten." He replied, moving over to the gun rack and picking up the colossal sniper. He held it in his muscular arms with ease, and looked down the scope in the position of a marksman. "I tend to eat a lot more than you do." He added with a smile. He gently lowered the gun, held it in his hands for a while, and placed it back in the rack.

"I lost my good sniper to Dubrovnik and his apes. It was the first one I'd made."

"You made one?"

"Yeah. I dropped out of school and enlisted in the Military when I was seventeen. I was a damn good shot with that sniper rifle – and still would be, if I hadn't made a mistake that day. The Military saw my aptitude and uplifted me to the SAS, where I found out how good I was at making and fixing shit. Eventually, they settled me into Gunsmithing." He gently moved over and plucked the image of the military men off of the wall, then moved back over and crouched down next to her, to be at her height.

"These men were the ones in my squad." He said, pointing to each member individually. "There's me, scrawny little whelp that I was. I had three years of experience when everything went south."

"What happened with your squad? Are they still out there?"

Adam paused momentarily, and continued.

"I don't know about Joel, but you definitely seem like a decent person."

He placed the image down, and began unwinding the bandage around his right bicep.

"I think I can probably tell you that story."

When he'd finished unwinding and removing the bandage, she was surprised to see that he also had a tattoo. Where Evelynn's was colourful and bright, a collage of miscellaneous images and symbols, Adam's was dark, and dutiful. Near the bottom of his shoulder, a title was written in a language completely foreign to her. It read, '_Memento, populum qui fecit vos', _and was scribed in an exquisite and complex font, framed in a banner. Beneath it, in a much simpler and more respect-demanding font, were names, winding around the top of his arm. Everything was in a pure and deep black, contrasting against the light hue of his flesh.

"Those names." She asked, cautious of what this implied about him. "Are they people you've killed?"

"No." He replied casually. "I'm not that cliché. They're people I've lost."

She was pleasantly surprised by the depth behind his explanation, and how it countered what she'd immediately concluded.

"People you've lost?"

"Yeah. All of them due to some fault by me. I was too slow, I made a wrong choice… or I ran, and left them to die. I keep them there, so I never forget what happened, nor make the same mistakes twice. Go ahead, have a read."

She perused the list, and observed all of the names.

MICHAEL J. RISSINGER - FRAGGER - DEXTER C. CURTISS - AMY GRATHIS - RED - DANIEL MILLER - LUI FENG - JAMES SLADEN - ANDREW GLASSMAN - MILA KEYES - LANCE CORPORAL JONOTHAN RHODES - FRAGGER - CARMEN STRAUSSON - ISIAH - VASILLI IGOREVICH - JOSH JAUREZ - SKYE - WELSH

There was a small, rectangular scar in his skin where he'd removed one of the names. They continued afterward.

JOANNA S. CASSEL - EARL ANTHONY WILLIAMS - PETE ERRICS - DEADEYE - BLUFOR

"Red was the first to die. He fell afoul of runners because I didn't time my sniper shots efficiently. Skye and Welsh were killed. Blufor suffered the same fate, but eight years later."

"I'm guessing their killer was the man you tore off the picture?"

He huffed, and continued. "I see you had time to look around. Yeah, that was him… Andrey Pyotr. The only foreigner in our squadron. I thought he'd been killed, but I was wrong… anway, I haven't seen him since Blufor. Good riddance, the bastard."

He paused slightly, and looked over to the far wall, the one she'd looked at first when she entered.

"He's another Russian, but compared to Dubrovnik… Krass was cunning; a sly killer, manipulating people, but Pyotr… he's just a fucking animal. When you put a lunatic and an incredibly skilled commander in the same skull, it creates an abomination. He also… that woman, the one with auburn hair?" He gestured across the room to the image that had caught Ellie's eye. It was unsurprising to her that they were related. Suddenly, the story of the Watcher was falling into place. "That's Joanna. She… she was my sister. I tried to save her, and - and… I-"

She saw his pale, glassy green eyes gloss over in a layer of water.

"He got to her first… the fucker had gone completely mental. He shot me in the leg, disarmed me, and made me look at her. She'd been raped, and eventually killed, lying dead next to Skye and Welsh."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"And, you know what the best part is?" He asked, with a fire burning in his eyes as two gleaming tears skewed down his chiseled cheeks in neat rivulets. For the first time, she saw his true anger, the anger that was always hiding behind the despair, waiting to pounce. He was almost as formidable as Joel. She looked deeply into his glass-green eyes, and saw minuscule flecks of yellow around his irises.

"He carved a fucking red circle into her stomach, with a line perpendicular to the top, and hung her from a pole. He hung me opposite her, and left me for a week. I was almost dead when Blufor came along and let me down."

He dipped his head, and his fury dissolved into sadness.

"Sometimes I wish he hadn't. Sometimes I wish he'd just left me to die of fucking thirst. Blufor carried me for eight years, before we met the bastard again. He gave me his car to escape while he defended the exit of the compound we were trapped in. His last words to me on the radio before he died were; '_never forget her, Adam. Never forget the people who made you.' _You can imagine how I felt when I saw a squad of men wearing that fucking symbol on their lapels._"_

He stood, and attempted to regain his composure, re-wrapping the tattoo in the bandage he'd removed earlier.

"So I got that tattoo the next day, and recorded everyone I'd lost, so I'd never forget what happened. What he did to them. I swore to hunt that bastard down, and I'm going to-"

"Adam? Adam!" They heard Evelynn shout from the medical room, her voice clearly distressed. "Adam, get in here now!"

"Oh, shit!" Ellie said, the tones of fear creeping back into her voice.

"C'mon." Adam retorted sharply, grabbing Ellie firmly by the wrist and leading her behind him. He swiftly moved through the door into the hall-like room, and then barged through the next metal door into Evelynn's operating set-up.

She'd stitched both of Joel's wounds shut, and the equipment that had been pristine when Ellie had left was now thick with deep red blood. On the tray to her right, a long, tube-looking lump of red flesh lay in a puddle of the vicious crimson liquid.

"You didn't tell me just how much blood he'd lost! His heart's failing; get me the adrenaline, stat!"

"Copy!" He let go of Ellie and darted from the room, re-entering not five seconds later with his backpack. He again took out the leather satchel, and drew the last orange-liquid filled syringe and handed it to Evelynn.

"Get me three clean syringes!" She commanded with urgency whilst injecting the fluid into the prominent vein on the underside of Joel's arm. He was almost as white and the bed sheets he lay on.

Ellie darted over to the bench where the equipment was sitting, and scooped three clear-glass syringes into her hands.

"What's his blood type, Ellie?"

"AB+." Ellie replied, without really processing the question.

"Shit, that's convenient." Adam said behind her.

Alarms went off in her mind. She turned around to see that Adam had exposed the back of his arm and was waiting expectantly for her to bring the syringes to Evelynn to give Joel a blood transfusion. He had flecks in his eyes, just like Evelynn.

Cordyceps.

"No…" She said, realizing the gravity of the situation. "No!" She screamed, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Ellie, what's wrong?" Adam inquired, baffled by her sudden outburst.

"She's infected!" She screamed, pointing straight at Evelynn. "She's fucking infected."

Evelynn was sitting in silence, her head down, in realisation of the situation.

"Evelynn?" Adam asked, shaken by the conviction with which Ellie had placed her accusation.

She sighed. "Little shit looked in my eyes, didn't she…"

Adam had backed away from her, and was almost at the door. Evelynn met his gaze, and for the first time, he clearly saw the yellow streaks that coursed through the glistening blueness of her eyes.

"Evelynn…?" He asked again.

"She's infected, and she's infected you! You're only going to infect Joel, too. Look!"

Adam took the metal tray that Ellie had handed to him, and looked at his reflection.

"I… I can't see anything."

"Look properly!"

He moved the tray closer to his face, and inspected. Sure enough, yellow streaks interrupted the green of his eyes. His were almost as prominent as Evelynn's, but masked by the colour his eyes wore.

He turned to her, his face a picture of shock and desperation.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, the anger rising in his voice.

"Adam, I-"

"Why didn't you fucking tell me?" He shouted, falling into the wall behind him and sliding down it to sit on the floor in disbelief.

She walked quickly over to him, and tried to embrace him.

"Adam, baby, don't worry, I can-"

He got up quickly, pushed past her and moved to the other side of the room, his face contorted with anger.

He turned slowly to face her upon reaching the opposite wall, and spoke in the quietest and most intimidating tone Ellie had heard in a long time.

"How long do I have?"

Evelynn had her hands raised in front of her, trying to calm him down. She was obviously well aware of the fury he possessed when he was roused.

"Adam… listen to me."

He stood there in silence, boring holes into her with his gaze. She continued.

"I told you I could fix this for everyone, didn't I?"

"You lied."

"No!" She almost screamed, made desperate by the thought of losing someone she loved. "No, I didn't! I can fix this! You brought bodies to me to examine, bodies of the infected. That was before… before we…"

"Before you fucked me! Before you killed me!"

"No, before I fucking fell in love with you! I don't even remember how it happened. Some infected brain juice or something got in my eye, and later that day we shared the night together. I didn't even fucking realize until the day after!"

"And then what? Why haven't I turned? This was nearly two years ago, I should be a fucking Clicker!"

She stuttered, her composure thrown by his anger and sense of betrayal.

"I-I-I spent the next two days solidly working, and I tried everything I could to develop some way of stopping what I'd done!"

"How?" He demanded.

"I tried remedies, antibiotics, antidotes, vaccines… I got nowhere. We had less than 48 hours when I finally had a breakthrough."

"How did you do this?" He demanded, with more force.

"I created a carbon compound that naturally lowers the reaction rates between the compounds in our bodies and the compounds in Cordyceps. You probably don't understand a word of the jargon, but in Layman's terms, it drew the incubation stage from 3 days to around 5 years. Since then, I've tried. I've tried so fucking hard to find a cure. I just can't do it, Adam! Scientist tries to play God and ends up killing the only person who ever cared for her! It's almost cliché."

"So you've been fucking drugging me, too?"

"Adam, I didn't mean it like that! I never meant for any of this!"

He just stood there, brooding.

"It doesn't change the matter at hand, though. I have hundreds of syringes of the compound, and if Joel doesn't get some blood soon, he'll die."

Ellie felt almost as betrayed as Adam did. In a timid and frightened voice, she verbalized the two options they had.

"So… if he doesn't get blood, he definitely dies. If he does get blood, he definitely dies, just in 5 years."

No one spoke. Adam took the syringes, filled them himself, and then stormed out of the room, grabbing a rifle from his rack and moving out of the compound of buildings. She heard the door from the entryway open, and then slam shut, the wheel turning and the bolt clicking into place shortly afterward.

She waited in silence, and when Evelynn asked her if she wanted to continue, she just nodded. She watched in despair as the thick red liquid was injected into his veins, one syringe, then the next, then the next. When it was over, Ellie lingered for a moment to see Joel's heart rate level out and his blood pressure increase, then left Evelynn alone in the operating room. She moved quickly to Adam's room, plucked the Magnum out of the rack, and made for the exit to the cave. The last thing she heard on the way out of the buildings were Evelynn's muffled sobs.

She heaved on the cold metal door, and it opened more easily under her anger than it had under her fatigue. She slammed it shut, and opened the second one, exiting out into the darkness of the cave, and made her way towards the bright orifice above that signified morning had arrived.


	7. Chapter 7 - Awakening

It was hours until she found him, sitting on the side of a lush green hill, covered by the shade of the trees as they swayed gently in the cool mountain air. He was staring into the earth, his head down and solemn. Next to him lay a fresh kill – he'd already gutted, skinned and carved a large doe that he'd taken down. Surprisingly enough, she hadn't heard a single gunshot, though he was holding a long and razor-sharp survival knife his in left hand, of which she assumed was the suspect. She remembered the deftness he'd displayed when he rescued her, and wasn't surprised that he could sneak up on a stray deer that was too busy devouring the grass directly beneath its muzzle.

She felt sorry for him, sitting in his despair; not the feigned 'sorrow' she had felt for others, which was just like a sad sense of being the lucky one, but a deep and pained sadness at what'd occurred over the last day.

Evelynn been infected for two years, and so had he. She kept the information from him in her cowardice, and didn't give him the respect he deserved, despite her bullshit excuse about an inhibitor she'd invented. She was crafty, that one. Ellie made a note to watch what she said around her. Despite her caution, she felt a strange guilt and responsibility for the whole situation. If she'd never suggested going in to that town, or moved towards that rifle on the counter, none of this would have happened.

Although, if it hadn't happened, they would surely have died.

Evelynn was looking desperately for a cure, and Ellie had it. She wasn't going to let the mad scientist into her brain anytime soon, though.

Shortly after leaving, she'd had a sudden urge to return to Joel, shocked that her anger had made her walk out on him. By that time, she was already a good mile away from the crumbling, dilapidated mine, and assured herself he would be fine. If anything happened, he could easily overpower Evelynn, and then Adam would be the main problem.

She banished the thought of having to kill them from her mind. Adam had been betrayed by a loved one; and as far as she could tell, the only one who could keep him sane after what he'd suffered. Anyone else and he would've tipped over the deep end and plunged into insanity a long time ago.

She stood in cover behind a tree, out of his line of sight. She peered around the edge cautiously, unsure of the state she'd find him in.

"Come out." He said, almost trivially, not looking up from the floor. "I know you've been following me."

His ability at situational awareness was almost unnerving. Still, he was a hardened survivor as well as a trained and disciplined trooper. It was his job to know where people were.

"Adam… I'm sorry." She walked over to where he was sitting, and lowered herself down next to him. "I didn't mean for that… it's just… Joel and I have come too far. Losing him to infection… it's an insult, it's just a fucking insult to all he's done for me."

He lifted his head from his arms, and turned to face her. She could see the redness around his eyes and tracks down the dirt on his face where he'd been distraught earlier. It was oddly reassuring to her that she'd seen him cry – he had humanity, a trait that Joel sometimes lacked. A warm smile spread across his face, and she felt his muscular arm wrap around her, and his hand ruffle her hair.

"It's alright, champ. You did the right thing."

She was surprised by how quickly he'd coped with the situation. The yellowish flecks in his eyes were increasing in size – they were ever so slightly thicker than they had been a few hours ago.

"Wha… you're not pissed at me?"

"No. Evie was the one at fault."

"You're pissed at her, then?"

"No, I'm not. At the time, to say I was emotionally compromised was putting it very lightly. It just… seemed like such a waste. Everything I'd done, done for her, for Joanna, for you… just to turn into a mindless walking mushroom. Regardless of her not telling me, she also did the right thing. I'm proud of her guts, and her initiative. And of yours."

The sun was slowly descending over the crest of the mass of hills, casting a beautiful, bright gleam over everything it looked down on. The grass turned a shade of gold, and the trees were wearing robes of flowing yellow and burning orange. There was still beauty and perfection left in this broken world, both in people and places.

She wrapped her arm around his broad shoulders, and he did the same with her. She rested her head on his shoulder, exhausted by her anger-provoked journey to this little spot.

It was nowhere in particular, and it wouldn't be marked on any map. She was more than thankful for that. Beneath them, a tiny stream gurgled and bubbled, the crystalline and transparent water reflecting the glow of the evening sun and travelling like a rivulet of molten copper, pure and bright. The air was gradually cooling down, and a shiver spiraled around her body. She had left the base in such a state that she hadn't even picked up her jacket from Adam's room.

He sensed this, and removed his, gently placing it over her arms and onto her body. The jacket was old, and carried a wide array of aromas, from synthetic gunpowder to the earthy musk of mud, and a plethora of others that she couldn't place. It was charcoal grey, and water resistant on the exterior – some type of hide or leather – with an interior of pure wool underneath a layer of polypropylene. It insulated her better than anything she'd ever worn before, despite being almost big enough for her to sleep in. The epaulettes carried a strange and dutiful pattern that she'd never seen – when she asked him what it meant, he explained it as an identification system for his fellow soldiers. Sure enough, embroidered over the breast pocket were the words 'GUNNERY SGT. ADAM J. CASSEL.'

"So… with Joanna? I'm sorry for bringing it up earlier. I know how shitty it is to talk about your pasts with people."

"It's fine, Ellie. '_Memento, populum qui fecit vos'."_

She wondered what he was talking about, until she glanced at his shoulder and read the tattoo a second time.

"_'Remember the people who made you.'_" He translated. "It does me good to remember. It gives me drive. Motivates me to save others, and stop the same from happening to them."

She leaned back into his arms, and gazed up at the sky, ablaze with orange.

"Do you ever get tired with it?"

He chuckled, and jokingly replied.

"Truth be told, I'd rather drop this whole business and sit in front of the telly with a glass of whiskey."

"Jack Daniels?"

"Fuck no!" He added sarcastically. "Scottish whiskey. Real whiskey."

She continued their conversation, asking what she thought was right as it came into her mind.

"How did Joanna die?"

He sighed gently. "What I told you was really the basic details. The truth behind the matter was the Pyotr and his men raped her after they'd shot her. Idiots. She died of the wounds to her chest long before they finished."

"Shit, that's gross. They may as well have been fucking a Clicker."

There was silence.

"No offence." She added, worried that her joke had gone amiss.

"None taken." He responded casually. "I understood your intention."

"I guess… I just wanted to say, I know what that's like."

He looked at her, unsure of her meaning.

"What what's like?"

"The… the raping."

"Oh my god. Surely you haven't been…"

"No, no. Joel got to me just in time, but… I know the fear. The one in your base, the cannibal you crossed out with black?"

"That guy? What, David or something?"

She shuddered at his name, and that gave Adam all the confirmation he needed.

"A real shady character, that one, along his entire group."

He didn't elaborate any further; he just sighed deeply and looked into the distance, still holding her gently in his arms.

"_Desperation makes animals out of men._" He muttered quietly.

That sat together in the meadow for another few minutes, simply wallowing in the peace and comfort of the moment. Eventually, Adam suggested that they ought to return to the base and face whatever awaited them there. He was almost as apprehensive to see Evelynn as she was. Joel was probably still dreaming, completely unaware of the drama that had unfolded meters away from him only a few hours previously.

They had just got up to collect the deer and leave when Adam remembered something, dropped the meat, and moved in the opposite direction.

"It's this way." He said.

"What is?"

"A job for us."

She did as she was told, and tagged closely behind him as they approached and began traversing a steep hillside that crumbled easily underfoot. They helped each other ascend, with her going first, directing him into foot and handholds that were big enough to accommodate his size without collapsing under the weight. To her right, she saw the path he had taken up the dirty hillside earlier – it had slid away, creating a large gap in the earthen ramp and revealing a thick wall of fresh, moist dirt that lay below.

Every now and again, a root sprouted conveniently out of the side of the bank and allowed Adam a little reprieve from the threat of sliding all the way back down to the meadow. They had climbed a good ten meters, and top of the sharp ridge was in sight, revealing a tiny flat plateau. She couldn't see over the top, and wasn't tall enough to reach the brim. He acknowledged this, and jumped the last two meters, grasping hold of the grass and dirt and heaving himself up onto the flat, rocky platform. He moved over to her and pulled her up – she was weightless in his grip, and she flew up and over the edge with ease. Observing her surroundings, she noticed Adam's gigantic rifle set up on a stone outcrop, turned south. Beyond that, she saw the very tops of two gigantic cooling towers; grey monstrosities that interrupted the lush beauty of the forest. Nearby, she assumed was some form of electrical power plant. It made her realise just how far they'd strayed from the base. On the top of one of the towers, she saw black writing, but it was too far away to discern.

Adam was prone on the ridge, gazing down the scope.

"I was here the day before I left to attack the red-rings." He said, angling the gun carefully. "And this wasn't here. It's recent."

He locked the gun into place, and moved away from it. With curiosity, she lowered herself to the ground, and shuffled into the massive weapon. Her arms barely reached beyond the trigger.

She lowered her head, and pressed her cheek up against the cool metal, her right eye looking directly into the scope. The magnification on it was huge, and there was a tiny '20x' scribed on the bottom of the lens in black, beneath the mill dots.

She focused her eyes, and as she adapted to the magnification, the fuzzy image at the end of the scope became clear.

Written on the side of the tower in massive, black letters, were five words.

'WATCHER, HELP US.' And beneath that, 'SOUTH EAST.'

"Holy shit." She muttered.

"I know, I thought the same. Look to the second tower."

She gently nudged the gun to the right, and the second tower slid into view.

The crest of Pyotr's hunters hung on the concrete like a curse; a bright red circle, with a line perpendicular to the top on the interior. The words 'BRING GUNS' were written beneath, in the same writing.

"There's a large town about thirty miles south-east of that plant. It powers the whole area, but that signal was written by people in the facility. Looks pretty fucking abandoned to me, though."

"What're you thinking?" She asked, leaning up from the gun and looking at him.

"We go and take a look." He said, surveying the area. "There's an entrance just over there." He gestured to a gap in the treeline, way off in the distance. "We get in, see what happened, and leave."

"What if there are red-rings?"

"We don't engage. I survey the situation first."

"Gotcha."

"Let's head back, it's getting late. I need to tell Evelynn, and gear up."

Ellie continued to look down the scope, marvelling at how far she could see. She scanned the area, trying to find anything of interest to discuss with him. She saw the exterior chain-link fencing, and what looked like bunkroom-type buildings inside the compound – the forest had been cleared away in swathes to make room for the man-made monstrosity, but it was slowly regaining its territory. The last light of the sun warped the shadows of the trees and objects in the compound, extending them so that she could see them in detail.

One of the shadows moved.

Adam crouched next to her, aware of her sighting.

"What do you see?" He asked, once again all business.

"I see some kind of… what the fuck is that?"

A huge, grotesque humanoid figure came lumbering out of one of the bunkhouses, its body swollen massively, pulsing and throbbing from the Cordyceps that had taken hold of it. The thing was gigantic, and fungus exploded erratically out of its head and stomach; its arms were disproportionately large, and the fungus had grown to form vicious-looking spikes from each wrist down. She couldn't tell for definite, but it looked larger than even a Bloater.

"Move." Adam said, his voice hushed. Ellie was transfixed, examining the abomination from the safety of distance as it limped around, hunched over.

"Move!" He said again, more forcibly. She shuffled to the left, and he positioned himself on the gargantuan rifle.

"God… I've never seen one like that before. That… that can't be natural."

She squinted at the towers, trying to identify the beast without the help of a magnifier.

"If we're going in there, I don't want that thing alive."

"How the hell are we supposed to kill it?"

He didn't look up or reply, instead pulling back the bolt on the rifle and snapping it into place. She got the idea, and covered her ears.

He waited until the monster decided to stop, and then carefully trained the crosshair of the scope in the centre of the fungal plume that had burst out of its skull.

He raised the rifle, angling the mill dots accordingly to the distance they were at. He inhaled deeply, and on the exhalation, fired.

The sound the gun made was massive, ricocheting around the valley below. He saw the massive anti-personnel round tear through the natural armour, ripping a majority of it away from the skull of the behemoth.

The abomination turned, and looked toward the sound it'd heard. From Adam's perspective, it was looking straight at him. The round had done nothing.

"Oh shit!" He cursed, hurriedly pulling the bolt and slamming it back into place, sending a used cartridge cascading out the side of the rifle. He re-adjusted and fired a second time. Due to his hurry, the bullet fell short and entered the beast's left shoulder, tearing the arm from its socket and spraying giblets all over the compound. He saw it roar, and the blood-curdling sound hit them moments later. Down the scope, it began moving straight towards the chain-link fence at the edge of the compound, directly towards the outcrop.

"A…Adam?" Ellie managed, fear seeping into her voice.

"Holy fuck!" He almost shouted, half in frustration and half in fear. The bolt was pulled back and a second cartridge flew out the side of the weapon, cascading down the hill.

The target was advancing, and very pissed off. A moving headshot at just short of 1000m wasn't an easy one by any means. He aimed the crosshair straight at the remainder of the beast's head, accounted for distance, and loosed another round on his exhalation. There was an explosion of crimson, and the infected's upper torso was torn straight from its body. The unnaturally large corpse collapsed backwards onto the cracked concrete floor of the compound.

Then the screams started.

Runners poured from the bunkhouses and the plant, stirred by the immensely loud rifle, and their comrade's roar – there were too many for Adam to count, and far too many to fight. Where their abominable colleague had strength, they had speed, and outmatched two unequipped survivors.

"Run." He said, rearing back from the rifle.

Ellie just stood there, shocked by the situation.

"Run!" He shouted again.

He scooped the rifle off of the floor, quickly folded away the bipod and slung it over his shoulders, sprinting back towards the edge of the plateau. He moved towards the drop-off, and when Ellie hesitated, jumped off the side and slid down the dirt on his back, coming rest in the cool grass of the meadow. She followed suit, coming to a stop just by him. They ran over to the deer carcass, and he hurriedly collected the two haunches of meat in each arm and moved off, breaking into a sprint. He was fast, and she was struggling to keep up with him. They were almost ten miles away from the base, she calculated, and she was sure he could run that distance in under an hour alone. She was fit, but he was in his physical prime.

"That deer should keep them busy for a little while, but we can't afford to dawdle, c'mon!"

As the sun shrank below the horizon and the cooling air flowed in and out of her lungs, she reflected on the burly Scotsman running in front of her. The screams behind them had dissipated to silence a few minutes later, and Adam had slightly slowed his pace at her request. He had a strange mentality; where the despair he endured on a daily basis would crush most people, he used it as fuel, as drive for his cause. He'd done some amazing things, and some terrible things, if you heard him tell it. Ellie was just glad he had the mercy to get her out of the cage.

She wondered what his squad were doing in the States, and why they came here in the first place; she never saw it for herself, but Marlene had told her that the outbreak in the US dwarfed anything that had happened elsewhere in the world.

They ran under trees and natural canopies, with the damp of the forest and the sound of birds the only thing present. The weight of Adam's jacket was hard on her, but she kept pace with him well, pushing herself to match him. They ran solidly for half an hour, and when darkness overwhelmed the forest, she found her eyes becoming gradually keener at discerning shapes and objects. The trees became vanguards, standing watch over her, giant and silent, ready to crush her foes.

They stopped briefly at the ruins of an old, rusted-out pickup truck, and caught their breath. Adam drew his brown leather satchel, and took out a syringe, this time with Eveylnn's inhibitor sitting thick and transparent in the tube. He carefully stuck it into his arm and injected the lot.

"Physical stress accelerates the infection, we saw as much with the first few cases… I always hated having my shots, but it's paying off now."

He chuckled anecdotally, thriving on the adrenaline of the situation.

"We're nearly back; we made incredible time. Ready to go for some more?"

"Sure." Ellie managed between her panting, and broke back into a steady jog behind Adam.

They ran together for another solid half hour, with Ellie taking one of the deer haunches to make life easier on Adam. They reached the road leading up to the mine, and passed through the gap in the orange-rusted chain link fence where the gate had once stood. The gravel track was harder on her feet than the earth, and the incline of the hill ignited a fire in her thighs that burned vigorously for the entire ascent. Despite the physical pain, the clenching in her neck and the dryness of her throat, she kept pace with Adam the entire way up, and entered the mouth of the cave first. Both of them had neglected to bring a flashlight, and so navigating the cave took longer than usual. They found the door after about 5 minutes, shifted the cabinets, opened it, and moved inside, replacing the camouflage and sealing the air-lock tight. They opened the second door and spilled into the brightly-lit cave, both panting vigorously. Ellie leaned up first and rested on her elbows, and started laughing. Adam leaned up, and joined in. The two lay there, laughing hysterically.

"Something tickle you two?"

Evelynn was sitting on a wooden crate on the other side of the underground stream, a wide grin stretched across her face.

"Where have you been? I've been so fucking worried about you!" She asked jokingly, mainly being happy that they'd managed to return in one piece.

"I went to find Adam," Ellie began, "but he'd-"

"- Gone to track a deer." Adam contributed, holding up one of the bloody haunches of venison.

"Oh yeah? Well, that's convenient."

Adam stood, and walked over the bridge to her.

"How so?" He asked, open to what she had to say.

"We've got another mouth to feed."

She turned slightly, and raised her voice.

"Joel?"

The door behind her edged open, and a man carefully walked out, trying to cope with his injuries.

"I heard you, I'm coming. I was just looking at the-"

"Joel?" Ellie shouted with delight, running over the bridge and past Adam.

"Ellie?" He turned at her voice, and moved towards her, tearing up.

"Joel!" She said, and threw herself into his arms. The two embraced tightly, and Joel drew sharp intake of breath, wincing.

"Careful, kiddo, that still ain't quite fixed." He chuckled gently, ecstatic to see her again.

"Joel…" She said, gently sobbing into his shirt. "I thought, I thought you'd… when he stabbed you, I mean-"

"I know."

"And then Adam was there, and he killed that fucker, and saved you, and we-"

"I know, Ellie. Evelynn told me everything."

He looked up at Adam, still holding Ellie in his arms.

"Everything, including the man who saved us. I owe you, Adam. Truly."

"It's nothing." He responded courteously. "Did she tell you about…?"

"Yeah. Yeah, she did."

Adam stood there, trying to formulate an apology.

"I'm-"

"Don't be sorry." He interjected, almost sensing Adam's remorse. "It gave me a better chance than I would'a had anyway. But... there's something little Ellie didn't tell you about." He ruffled her hair affectionately.

This took Evelynn's interest, and she hopped off of the box, taking her place next to Adam and sliding her hand into his.

"What is it?" She asked, the spark of curiosity in her eyes.

Joel smiled for the first time in an age, and said:

"She's immune."


	8. Chapter 8 - Contingency

"This changes everything." She said, suddenly massively relieved and motivated, the occurrences of the last day drifting to the back of her mind. "This changes everything!"

Ellie was sitting on the bed that Joel had been laying unconscious on not a day earlier. He had slowly been re-adapting to regular movement, limping around the base and gradually getting used to being back in his own skin. The injury he'd sustained had changed him – he was still Joel, but he seemed less… cold. It was almost as if he were welcoming of the new people, where a well-justified suspicion had conquered before. He'd already accepted Adam and Evelynn as friends, and politely greeted them when walking by, or conversing with them eagerly about the days before the crisis. He talked culture with Evelynn; music, pictures, movies, and subjects to that degree. With Adam, he discussed war stories, and traded evaluations of events both of them had been through leading up to this point. She was overjoyed he was alive, but she was inevitably jealous of the similarities that they shared with the two that she did not. She was young, and most of her time had been spent in a military safe zone – she had nowhere near the same amount of tales, close-scrapes or stories of selfless heroics.

Still, she had grown to like these people, as had Joel. They were a dysfunctional pair; the Healer and the Reaper, being overly happy together in a horror-filled world. When Evelynn had first asked to look for proof of her immunity, she'd reacted with excuses and hesitation, and locked up. Evelynn and Adam had both talked to her, and bored her shitless with 'how good it will be for humanity' and 'how we can save everyone.' Frankly, the only person she cared about saving was Joel, and she only gave in for his sake, not because of their chastising.

Regardless of that, she had sat bolt upright on the side of the bed with numerous patches and wires connected to her head while Evelynn buzzed about, scanning her with some weird machine that looked like a fancy spatula. It drew so much power that the lights went out and Adam had to quickly run to turn on the hydro-electric generator in the nearby cave. After the interruption, the scientist continued.

She had fluttered around Ellie's head for about twenty minutes before a set of black, grainy images had appeared on the computer monitor next to her. She saw a familiar shape – the front, side and top views of a skull – and something that baffled her completely; it looked like a mushy puddle of flesh, jammed right inside the hollow interior of the organic structure. She thought she'd seen it before, but it was always flying quickly out of its owner's cranium or splattered on a nearby wall.

"That's your brain, Ellie. I took a scan based on what Joel told me."

The slender, black haired woman turned and looked her over with those bright-blue eyes, swimming in intelligence.

"Have you ever seen it before?"

"Fuck no!" She replied, baffled and amazed at the same time by the technology before her. "How the hell did you guys get this stuff?"

"We did a couple of hits on a hospital together, back in the day." The burly, kind Scotsman said as he walked calmly over to the assessment. "The life-support and utensils we got from there, but I picked the rest up from universities and colleges over the years."

"That there equipment must'a been worth millions." Joel added, sitting on a chair on the far side of the operating room and eargly examining the LMG Adam had picked up from the bandits, almost an age ago now.

"Not far off, actually." Evelynn countered, the excitement evident in her voice as she transferred the image to a different monitor and annotated for the rest of them.

"This equipment may just save us, along with this remarkable young lady here." She ruffled Ellie's hair, and the sixteen year old couldn't supress a smile at the affectionate touch of the elder woman.

"Alright, Doc. What've you got for us?" Adam took residence in another seat, next to Joel. He leaned over, and whispered in the Scotsman's ear.

"Feels like Chemistry class all over again, huh?"

"Fuck, I hated chemistry." He replied with a jest.

Evelynn turned with a face of mocked shock, and then scoffed.

"That's Professor to you, Gunnery Sergeant." She turned back around, and rotated a chunky monitor to face them. "Plus, chemistry is wonderful, as we'll see here."

"Alright, shoot." Joel spoke, all ears. Adam had temporarily controlled his humour, and his face was a painting of curiosity.

Evelynn showed six grainy-black pictures on the monitor, with large blobs visible inside the frail outline of two different human skulls. She gestured towards them, and elaborated.

"Here we have exhibit A, Asymptomatic Carrier with synthetic immunosuppressant. To the right, exhibit B, the Immune subject. What do you notice?"

"This really is like chemistry class." Joel uttered, leaving Adam tittering in his seat.

"Children, behave." She turned to Ellie, and posed the question again.

"What do you notice, Ellie?"

She glanced over at the monitor, and compared the left three images with the three on the right. For the first time, she understood what people meant by _'we're all same on the inside',_ with the distinct differences in her and Evelynn's faces ignored by the X-ray scan she had performed. She saw their brains, sitting in their skulls, and was awe-inspired that such an unappealing lump of grey mush determined everything about a person's identity and uniqueness - everything they would say and do for their entire lives.

Upon closer inspection, Ellie did notice the differences that Evelynn was alluding to. The brain on the left – assuming it belonged to Evelynn – had peculiar and almost vivid-white anomalies around the lobes of the lump of flesh. Ellie had them too, but in Evelynn's images, they were in a different place every time, almost as if they were moving. Ellie's were smaller, and stationary.

"Those white blobs. They don't move in my pictures."

"Precisely." The scientist said, proud that someone had picked up on her ingenuity.

"What're we getting at, Evie?"

She paced up and down the room as she explained, her hiking boots making a soft footfall as she walked slowly on the concrete floor. Ellie couldn't get over the stereotypical manner with which the scientist delivered her thoughts, suddenly all seriousness and professionalism.

"The blobs, so adequately named, are precisely that; blobs of Cordyceps, of fungus, in the brain. Technically, both of us could be classed as Asymptomatic Carriers; however - there is one major difference. Look at the position of the blobs in the images."

The men examined closely, and saw what she wanted them to.

"The blobs don't move with Ellie." Adam issued, beginning to grasp what she was getting at, but also beginning to falter under the weight of all the medical terminology.

"Exactly my point. My chemical is an immunosuppressant – in Layman's terms, it drastically lowers the reaction rate of the carbon compounds in Cordyceps with the carbon compounds in the brain, exponentially increasing incubation time and temporarily countering turning of the subject. As a result, for a long period of time, the subject will experience nothing but minor symptoms, like the tiny rivulets of fungus around the iris. Ellie, however, is brilliantly unique – the fungus has already chemically bonded to the compounds in her brain tissue. It's fixed in, and taken hold, but it hasn't overridden the brain and killed the subject, like it has the overwhelming mass of the infected populous."

"So, it's just sitting there?" Joel inquired, trying to sift through Evelynn's complex sermon.

"Not only sitting there, but co-existing. The two are connected symbiotically, and as such, the subject experiences no symptoms. It's a biological miracle – people have built immunities to diseases in past through exposure, usually in the form of vaccines, but this is completely different. It's manifesting in her brain, her blood, her organs – but it's not using her as a host. It's almost like it's… helping her."

"Helping her?" Joel inquired again.

"Yes." She sat down, and chewed on the end of a blue ballpoint pen as millions of thoughts flitted through her head. The opportunity of creating a cure from her bloodstream and brain fluid was too important to pass up, and she knew that, but… she also knew what had to happen. She wasn't going to murder an innocent girl, especially not one who was a gutsy as she was. Ellie sullenly reminded Evelynn of herself at that age – hot-headed and expressive, but a genuine and beautiful person underneath the boisterousness. She glanced down at her tattoos; an exploit of her adventurous youth that probably ought to have been spent studying. She had warmed to Ellie, almost in a motherly sense, and that confused her; despite the unsure nature of her feelings, she wasn't going to let anything happen to the girl she'd come to care a surprisingly large amount for.

Joel had surprised her, initially. She had temporarily left the operating room to go and lie alone on the bed she shared with Adam, debating to go out after him and Ellie, when she'd heard movement from the lab. She walked in to find him sitting upright on the side of the bed, awake but delirious. She'd shot him up with painkillers and her inhibitor, then they talked over a meal, and she'd explained everything that'd happened. She included the information about his infection, and how he got it, but omitted how she transferred it to Adam; she imagined he could figure that one out for himself.

"I wonder…" She began. "You say the Fireflies tried to synthesise a cure from your brain fluid?"

"No," Joel interjected, "There weren't any plans to synthesise. They ain't exactly PC when it comes to operations. I picked up audio logs by their big-wig surgeon in charge, and all he alluded to were cuttin' up brains to see what'd happened."

"Brains, in the plural?"

"Yeah, similar, but none to the same degree as Ellie's."

"I see."

Evelynn cast her mind back and remembered her first day with the girl; she hadn't observed much, except very slight bruising and unusual faults in the skin of her right arm when she'd drawn up her sleeve to put on her pair of plastic gloves, and how hurriedly she'd yanked the sleeve back down afterwards. A photographic memory had served the scientist well in college, and it sure as hell worked now.

_That may be what you're looking for._

"Do you have a bite?" She asked courteously, turning her ocean-blue eyes on the young girl.

"Wha… what do you mean?" Ellie responded, full of apprehension.

"It's fine. We're all infected anyway, remember? I'm just curious."

Without speaking, Ellie reluctantly pulled the reddish-brown sleeve of her hooded jacket up, revealing a ring of slightly marked skin, scarred where the teeth of an infected had sunk into her veins years ago. The ring of teeth marks was well healed, but was still visible.

"It was three weeks old when I met Joel."

Evelynn held Ellie's arm, and examined it curiously.

"The scarring tells me it was deep. How long did it take to heal over, completely?"

"Just under a month."

"Were you able to move the muscles normally, without pain?"

"Yeah. Damn well hurt to begin with, though."

Evelynn wore a satisfied expression, impressed with her own know-how as geniuses often are.

"Good, then I'm correct." She stood, and turned to the men. "It's helping her." She proclaimed.

"Evelynn," Adam began, moving over to her and wrapping his hands slowly around her waist. She grasped them warmly, and he rested his head gently against hers. "All this might make sense to a science major, but Joel and I… to say we're having a hard time comprehending is putting it lightly."

"Sorry, I just…" She looked up at him, and grinned. It was the most genuine smile he'd seen in years. "This… this is a scientific breakthrough, Adam. This is evolution, and I'm witnessing it happen! It's no different to adapting to the Black Death, or Tuberculosis. And you know the best part?"

She gestured towards Ellie's arm, highlighting it to him as an example.

"Deep tissue wounds take at least three months to heal, and a year to be useable without pain or tension in the muscles. Even then there are long-term effects! This was done and dusted in under a month, and she uses it just fine. It accelerated her healing! I don't know what else it could do, but… extend our lives? Cure other diseases, maybe?"

"Maybe." He said, calmly and quietly. "But it can wait for now, Evie. You've been at this for hours, and I seem to recall you haven't eaten."

She drew in close, their breath mingling together.

"Are you going to force me, Gunnery Sergeant?"

"If I have to, ma'am." A wide grin spread across his slim face.

Joel was too busy pouring over the pristine machine gun to pay much attention, but Ellie saw and spoke up.

"'Scuse me, Lovebirds. Are we gonna eat, or what?"

The two split apart quickly, still gingerly holding hands. Ellie hadn't spoken harshly; more with the tone of a joking friend than an annoyed onlooker. Joel had glanced upwards at her comment, and he smiled gently as the two stood hand in hand. It amused him in a strange way to see a physically mature man and woman flirting and reacting like confused teenagers, but it restored some faith in humanity for him, and it forced him to inadvertently reminisce about the days long gone. He had lived and loved in Adam's position, once; before Sarah, and before any of this. Despite the loss of his only daughter, he remained thankful of what he had been given and the chance he'd taken on Ellie that had ended up redeeming him from a life of under-the-board activities. No-one loved anymore in this cold world, save for him and Ellie. Now it seemed he'd finally found people outside the confines of Tommy's who actually possessed hearts.

"Right. Sorry." Adam said, laughing slightly. "Sometimes, we forget we've got visitors. It's been that long."

"I'll get the venison on the go." Evelynn said gently, kissing him lightly on the lips, lingering, and then taking her leave. The SAS veteran moved back over to the man he'd saved, and took the seat next to him.

Joel was still examining the gun, pulling the bolt and fiddling with the belt-fed drum magazine. Ellie moved over, and sat down next to him on the floor, leaning up against the chair and resting her head on his legs.

"She's quite the catch, huh?" He asked Adam casually, not looking up from the gun.

"Yeah, she is." He replied, staring thoughtfully at the wall in front of him. "She's got her issues, but we all do. She's the only one who took any interest in me for the last decade; everyone else I ran into or saved either died or moved off, going their own way."

"We both know what that's like." Joel affectionately placed his right hand on the top of Ellie's head.

"I know the dangers behind caring for someone in this world, but… when I saved her? I couldn't let her leave like everyone else. She's a genius, a prodigy in her field, but - she's a little… clumsy, as science types are. I wanted to stay and protect her."

"Same story with me and the young'un."

Ellie turned and looked at them with a face of mocked surprise.

"Hey, I am so not clumsy!"

All Joel did was chuckle gently, and ease himself out of the chair, groaning slightly at the dull pain in his abdomen. Adam followed suit, and the three left the operating room and moved through the hallway into Adam's contingency room.

"This is a helluva' lotta planning you got going here." Joel said, examining the trees up on the wall. "Didn't get much of a chance to look before, but damn."

"Yeah, you could say that." Adam replied, gently resting his hands on the desk lodged against the wall as Joel placed the cumbersome machine gun back in the rack.

He gazed at the faded picture of Joanna, and reminisced.

"It's so I'm ready, whenever I hear of bandit trouble nearby." He started. "I won't let people be treated like that, I-"

The recollection struck him like a bullet to the head; in the excitement of Joel waking up, and Evelynn's assessment of Ellie, he'd neglected to mention the sign plastered on the side of the power-plant, and the nightmarish and near invincible infected they'd encountered.

The red-ring burned into his mind like a beacon of fear.

"Adam?" Ellie asked, surprised by his sudden pause. "You what?"

"I… I'm hungry." He said, changing his tone, deciding now wasn't the time to bring it up. He needed to discuss the infected with Evelynn before anyone decided that going to the plant was a good idea. He didn't know whether that beast was the only one there.

"Who else is?" He smiled, hoping they'd bought his façade.

Ellie grinned, enticed by the thought of food. Evelynn had fuel for hours, just off of her own motivation, but the growing teen didn't share that trait of scientific supplement.

"Shit yes!" She replied, her stomach rumbling as it had been for hours.

A few minutes later, Evelynn emerged from a door that led to a room Ellie hadn't been in, her arms laden with four plates of deep-brown meat and colourful salad. It was the single most appetising thing she'd seen in weeks. She sat down in front of Joel with her plate, and dug into the well-cooked and steaming-hot goodness, as juices and grease filled her mouth. She talked with him constantly, almost giving herself indigestion; they talked about his wounds, their encounter with Krass, Tommy's place – she loved every moment, being surrounded by friends and good food. If she had ever wondered what the days before the infection were like, this experience granted her a fairly accurate idea.

Adam and Evelynn had sat with them briefly, but they had moved off to the other side of the room at Adam's request to discuss something together – Ellie didn't bother trying to decipher what – she wasn't in the least bit suspicious about the two. They were probably talking about gardening or science or something.

"So, kiddo. You been getting your fill of excitement while I've been sleeping?"

"Shit yes." She managed between mouthfuls. "These guys, though… they're different. I know how we agreed to be with new people, but… they're not like others, and they're sure as hell not bandits."

"No, I know." Joel replied, looking up from his food every now and again. He glanced over to the soldier and the scientist, his vision temporarily lingering on their conversation.

"They ain't the type to hurt people out of fun."

"I know. Did you hear what she was saying about me?"

"Yeah. If you don't mind me saying, seems a little too good to be true." He leaned back into his chair, and looked her straight in the eye. She'd forgotten how much she'd missed his gaze, until now.

"I don't understand much of that medical mumbo-jumbo, but… I'm willing to help 'em." He continued, his tone all business. "However," He interjected, "If it heads down the same route as the Fireflies, we bug out, same as before. Deal?"

Ellie was slightly wounded by his seemingly careless position to walk out on these two if they had to operate on her. She wanted to argue, to state how it would be better for everyone, even if it meant her own death… but she didn't. Part of her knew that she was the only reason the big guy fought anymore.

As she looked at him, she began to realise just how his injuries had taken their toll – it almost seemed as if he'd aged five years in the few days he'd been near-death. Grey streaks now dominated his hairline, and his face and more lines and creases than ever. Despite this, she had no doubt he would still protect her, with his life. She was just worried that his life was slightly more endangered than before. Yellow-green streaks extended out around the irises of his eyes.

"Deal." She replied, making the decision to stay with Joel if things went south.

Adam and Evelynn had finished their conversation, and moved back over to the four-person table they were seated at. Evelynn sat down, and Adam brought a map over, standing by the side of the table and leaning up against it. On inspection, she saw it was a map of the nearby area; the mountain that the mine was located in was identified, and so was another area around ten miles south. The map was badly worn, and obviously very old, covered in symbols and writing that showed secret paths and supply drops, houses, facilities and towns. She glanced at the highlighted area to the south, and saw the words "NUCLEAR POWER STATION" written in black ink.

The plant. She'd almost forgotten what'd happened that day.

Adam dictated and issued his plan, slipping into the role of a military commander.

"Sorry to interrupt everyone's dinner, but I remembered something a moment ago that it was unprofessional of me to let slip."

"Alright Sarge, shoot. What is it?" Joel inquired, turning in his chair to face the Scotsman.

"I made a small recon excursion to this power plant, here, yesterday." He gestured to the black circle in the lower part of the map.

"Ellie came with me. All seemed well until I scoped in on one of the cooling towers. A signal had been left there, for me."

"What did it say?" Joel inquired, presumably in the dark about their encounter.

"WATCHER, HELP US, SOUTH EAST. On the second cooling tower, to the right of that, was this symbol." Adam slammed a piece of paper down on the table, bearing the red-ring of Pyotr's hunter triad. Joel examined it for a moment, and then made the connection. The sniper who took down Ellie wore the same logo on his chest, as had Krass Dubrovnik, the man who had interrogated him. He wondered where he'd seen it recently, and then recalled the information; Adam had been tracking them for a while, with the tree on his wall following their every movement. He remembered what Evelynn had told him about their endeavour getting up here, how Adam had finished Dubrovnik, and how she believed the leader of this group was the man who murdered Adam's sister, all those years ago.

"Those bastards." He said.  
>"Exactly. Those bastards."<p>

He moved around the room, exited briefly, and then returned with the gargantuan rifle in his hands.

"That isn't all, though." He placed the behemoth of a gun down on the table.

"Can you tell me what this rifle fires, Joel?"

He gently picked the gun up, carrying it as easily in his hands as Adam had the day before.

"I don't know for definite, but something damn big. Anti-personnel, maybe?"

"Bigger. Anti-materiel. 50 caliber."

"So what?"

He rested his hands on the edge of the table once more, and continued.

"There was… an infected, down there. Ellie should remember it."

She did, and she contributed to the conversation.

"It was fucking huge, Joel. Like, twice the size of a goddamn Bloater!"

He didn't say anything, only looking at Adam again, his face all work and no play.

The Scotsman continued.

"The behemoth that was there… was not natural. It had fungus forming on its arms like weapons. It looked… it looked fucking mutated. It took three shots with this rifle to take the thing down, where it usually tears through Bloaters and damn near anything else in one."

"And you want us to go in there with you, is that it?"

Joel had practically read Adam's mind.

"Yes." He admitted. "I'm sorry. I know you've just woken up, but we need all the help we can get. If this is linked to those red-ringed bastards… to Pyotr… then this is more than just about saving people. I… I need to do this, Joel."

He turned to Evelynn, and said:

"And I need everyone to come with me."


	9. Chapter 9 - Power to the People

It'd taken them all a good forty minutes to gear up after Adam had requested their help on his mission to the power plant. Joel had accepted almost immediately despite his injuries, Evelynn had been reluctant to even leave the base, and Ellie had just been downright scared, swimming in fear at the memory of the gigantic infected that had taken residence in the bunkrooms.

Evelynn looked decidedly foolish in her survival gear – it was military standard, like Adam's, but she wore it with awkwardness and disdain; clearly field work wasn't her forte. Her slender body was made redundant as she was fleshed out considerably by the clothing, leaving her looking peculiarly large. Adam had decked Joel out with similar equipment, providing a Kevlar vest, tactical clothing and a reinforced military-grade helmet. When Joel had declined the gear, saying he preferred to travel light, Adam had taken no notice and insisted – he even suggested at wearing more gear due to his recently stitched lacerations. They had no clue what they'd find down there, after all.

Ellie had gotten off easily, still carrying a Kevlar vest, but underneath considerably lighter armour that Adam had found to fit a smaller man. It wasn't at all well-fitting, and still too large for her, but she wore it well regardless. She looked at their reflections in the shining surfaces of the operating room, and subtly loved the rugged look it gave them all.

Adam had set them all up first, and told them to wait in the operating room for him to gear-up and prep all the weapons they were going to use. When he strode through the door, he looked downright formidable.

He was clad from head to toe in worn but hardy military gear, with buffed-out shoulder pads that made his already huge build look even larger. His helmet was a dull grey in the light of the room, cast iron with an eye-slot that looked as if it were made from improvised skiing goggles. A large, blue eye was painted elegantly on the forehead of the headgear. He had a respirator built in to the helmet, meaning that unlike Joel's his was fully-faced. He slowly moved around the room, handing everyone else a gas mask and a handful of filters. She wondered why they'd need protection from spores if they were all already infected.

"Not spores." Adam replied, his voice slightly muffled by the helmet but still audible. "Worse than that. The plant'll be abundant with toxic gasses and other fun stuff given off by the reactor. It can kill you just as easily."

He did another loop of the room, handing everyone a small, black device that looked like a radio. He told them how to turn it on, and Ellie flicked the switch upwards. The small black rectangle ticked and clicked slightly every few seconds.

"What is it?" She asked, turning it over in her hands and examining the exterior. Everyone else had already fastened it firmly to their lapels.

"It's a Geiger Counter." Joel said, turning towards Adam with a concerned look on his face. "We expecting radiation?"

"No, but it's a good precaution. That infected didn't look naturally developed. I've seen similar occurrences in mutations; and anyway, it doesn't hurt to have one handy."

"How does it work?" Ellie inquired, still overly curious.

Surprsingly, Evelynn was the one who answered. She walked over, took it in her hand, and fastened it securely onto Ellie's lapel.

"It ticks whenever there is radiation. What we're hearing now is normal; everything on the planet gives it off. The time to be concerned is when it starts ticking a whole lot more, like a firecracker."

"Okay." The girl replied, meeting the woman's eyes.

"If that happens, run. Get out of that area as quickly as possible. And whatever goes down, don't take that off."

"Gotcha."

The woman smiled and stood, and then moved back over to her lover. She saw Joel shoot her an odd look – was it jealously, or hostility?

Before she could discern the difference, Adam had begun handing out the weapons he had prepped earlier. The men carried the most firepower; Adam took his rifle, along with a long, British army camouflaged and silenced carbine, while Joel took the light machine-gun and a sinister looking 12 gauge combat shotgun. Evelynn had opted for a lighter choice, wielding a .22 Hunting Rifle, and Ellie was given an SMG that fit snugly into her hands.

Adam walked over to her, drew his Magnum from his belt, and turned it around in his hands, offering her the hilt.

"You've done a better job with this in a week than I've done in a decade." He gestured it towards her, and she saw his eyes smile at her out the visor in his helmet. "Consider it yours."

"Whoa, no way… are you sure?"

"Positive." She once again took in the beauty of the glistening metal as Adam made final checks before they headed out.

The checks in question took around twenty minutes, and were simple things – turning the electricity off, handing out radios, and making sure everyone was mentally ready for whatever may await them. In a last-minute thought, Adam ran quickly back into his room, and emerged having slightly altered his carbine – a large, underslung rail now held a black cylinder and a complex mechanism on the underside of the gun. When she inquired its purpose, he simply replied with a grin and said "fireworks," leaving her baffled at what it may be.

They walked together out of the airlock doors, and the two men sealed them tightly and moved the cabinets back in front to obscure the deep-green metal of the inlaid entryway. Joel was moving surprisingly easily giving his injuries, and Ellie couldn't get past the thought that maybe Evelynn's satirical ramblings had some truth to them.

Before they moved out of the dilapidated room that housed the entrance, Adam opened a fuse-box and flicked a majority of the breakers, bathing the interior of the cave in a thick darkness. Everything was still and silent, the only sounds being the falling of feet and the whistle of the autumn breeze down the cave mouth. They strode up the cavernous opening together in a tightly-knit squad, with Adam taking point and the others tagging behind. Joel and Ellie were both as confident in their step as he was, but Evelynn was having a harder time, constantly off-balance and tripping on her boots. It wouldn't have bothered Ellie if she hadn't been wearing thirty pounds less gear than Adam or Joel were.

Upon emerging, the day was in full swing. The sun was high in the sky – signalling midday – and the air was pleasant and cool to the touch. They skirted around the front of the cave, slinking through long grasses and flowers, and pulled away the camouflage netting to expose the black coupe to the sunlight. They piled in together, and Adam took driver, with Joel in shotgun and the two girls in the back. The car started gently and purred, seemingly unaffected by the large amount of gas they'd used returning up here. She made the assumption it had bonus tanks as it rolled almost silently out of the cave and onto the meadow. Evelynn quickly jumped out, lowered the netting, and returned into her seat before Adam swung the vehicle around and began down the dirt track.

They reached the B-road in a few minutes, and pulled right onto the highway. The inhabitants remained silent, as people often were before going somewhere they believed to be dangerous. Ellie had time to escape from reality and reminisce, but the thoughts simply wouldn't come. She was in constant turmoil at the situation she was faced with; all three of her friends – the only adults she had ever truly trusted – were slowly turning into mindless lumps of fungus, despite their nonsensical beliefs that they weren't. She felt an overwhelming selfishness that they would die if she didn't help them, but was also uncharacteristically frightened at the realisation that she would die if she did. In both outcomes, she didn't get what she wanted.

The pines were still shooting up out of the ground around them, casting long and spear-like shadows upon each other and the ground around them. The scenery seemed to engage both Joel and Evelynn in an unbreakable vice, both of them sitting there in dead silence, with no inclination to talk. She felt like a good pun was needed, but held back for a reason she couldn't fathom.

The rolled down the road, coming across nothing bar a burned-out barn and a few cars piled directly in their path. Instead of driving around them, the men got out to push them into the ditches on either side, and then retook their places in the vehicle. She felt her tension rising as she saw the cooling towers of the plant become visible above the treeline. She stared at them for a few moments, registering that something was amiss. By the time they had drawn close enough for her suspicions to be confirmed, Adam had already noticed the same thing. He slowed the car considerably, and gestured upwards to the cooling towers.

"The writing that was left for me isn't there, and neither is the symbol." The words contained lashings of caution.

"You mean it's been removed?" Evelynn inquired.

"Cleaned off, I imagine." He turned his head back to the road, and continued with conviction. "And I think I know who did it. Filters in, people, and be alert. I think they're here."

Evelynn clipped a filter into both her gas mask and Ellie's, while Joel did the same. Evelynn helped her with hers, and she saw Joel look disapprovingly in the rear-view mirror; the same look he'd given to Evelynn when she'd informed Ellie on the Geiger counter.

They rolled almost at walking speed on approach to the plant, and to her surprise cut left, bypassing the entrance entirely. Adam pulled up around ten feet shy of a gaping hole in the chain-link, where she guessed the runners had piled through when they'd been alerted the day before. Sure enough, she got out the car and turned north to see Adam's rocky sniper spot protruding from the cliff-face around a kilometre away. In accordance to this, she turned the opposite way and scanned the compound for the gargantuan infected's hulking corpse. To her surprise, she saw nothing; not even blood to signify where the corpse had fallen. She told Adam, and he only replied with a command.

"Safeties off."

She flicked a tiny switch on the side of her SMG from SAFETY to LIVE.

They approached the compound as a group, and deftly moved through the human-sized gap in the fencing to emerge into the cracked concrete courtyard of the plant. To her left, the bunkhouses stood empty, which unnerved her; to her right, the cooling towers soared upwards, obscuring the blueness of the sky.

Everyone was silent as they moved through the complex, apart from the dull ticking of everyone's Geiger counters. The ticking had become livelier, and Ellie had voiced this, only to be assured that it was nothing to be concerned about and that she'd know if it got to dangerous levels. Their first order was to split up and check the bunkrooms for anything of usage they might find. Adam went with Evelynn, and she with Joel – before they split, they agreed to a rule of silence. Adam had his carbine, and he handed Joel his survival knife for quiet takedowns, if nessercary. It proved to be a fruitless exercise, with the two only needing to sift through drawers and cabinets, digging up miscellaneous items of little importance.

"Have you found anything?" She hollered to Joel, still conscious of any possible infected in the vicinity.

"Nope." Came her reply a few seconds later, muffled by the wall that separated them. "There's clothes and equipment, but there ain't a lot else."

She continued digging through the room in silence, now beginning to tackle the large assortment of clothes that were burying an old, mouldy and yellowed mattress that had half fallen off of the bed it had been assigned to all those years ago.

As she peeled away rotting shirts and trousers, she thought about the people who may have worked here. What were they like? How old were they, and why were they here? Did they have families, and did those families survive the onslaught? Did they?

Her pondering was interrupted by the soft hiss of two silenced gunshots from the bunkroom opposite them; the one that directly adjoined to the facility underneath the two soaring cooling towers. Joel had appeared in the doorway to the room, obscuring her view to the window and the exterior compound.

"Did you hear that?" She asked, at alert.

"Yeah." Joel added casually, and slipped Adam's survival knife back into its sheath, the end covered in a viscous crimson liquid. "There're a few runners dotted around the compound; ones that weren't spooked by the gunshots. Ain't nothing to worry about."

"I'm more concerned about this shitty plant." The ticking of her Geiger meter had continued to climb. It had levelled out at a medium intensity a few minutes ago, but this place made her skin crawl, on both a physical and psychological level. Joel didn't seem fazed by it; or maybe she was just imagining things.

"Have you heard from the others?" She asked, returning to peeling damp and moss-covered clothes off of the rotting mattress. To her annoyance, she found shortly after arriving that she'd wound up with the one faulty radio.

"No, nothing." He added, getting on his knees and helping her as he always did. "I'm guessing they've found about as much as we have."

That statement could not have come at a more ironic time if they'd tried. Upon finishing his sentence, Joel scooped up a mass of t-shirts to reveal the bloody hand of a corpse protruding out the underside of the toppled mattress.

"Step back." He said forcibly, and she did as she was told. He wrapped his huge hands around the corners, and heaved the rotting bed-cushion away from the decidedly not decomposing corpse. He threw the mattress to the left, sending it to land softly against the plasterboard wall with a dull thud. Kneeling closely to the body, he went in for a closer inspection.

At face value, it could be anyone, or anything, but there were two aspects that set this corpse aside from others.

"This fella died recently." Joel began, carefully gripping the wrist that had been protruding and raising it slightly. Both the joint of the wrist and the elbow moved with ease.

"His body ain't locked up, meaning he can't have been dead more than an hour. Also, look at his face. See anything weird?"

Upon examining, she did notice something amiss. Clickers and other older infected were easy to identify, and newer ones were essentially just human corpses with a noticeable orange tint to their skin tone. This corpse was deathly white, like crisp snow, or the floor of Evelynn's operating room.

"Holy shit." She said, leaning down next to Joel. "He wasn't infected."

"No, he wasn't. He was killed."

He plucked the radio out of his pocket, and gently pushed down a small black button on the side of the device.

"Adam, you there?"

"_Copy." _Came the crackly reply, shortly afterward._ "What is it, Joel?"_

_"_We've got a stiff."

A strange noise reverberated briefly down the line, reminiscent of a sigh.

"_Yeah, we've got some too. Regular people, right?"_

"Right."

_"Shit. Alright… meet us in the bunkroom across from you. Looks like there's an entrance here."_

Without further hesitation, the two stood and left the room they were in, proceeding back down the hallway to the exit a few meters away. As she glanced back, Ellie saw the corpse of the infected that Joel had bloodied his knife on.

They broke out into the afternoon sunlight to find Adam and Evelynn leaning up against the side of the bunkhouse they'd explored. Evelynn was exactly the same as they had left her, although she looked rather flustered, and Adam's visor was splattered with blood. As they approached, he wiped it off of the reinforced plastic and moved to meet them. He was about to speak when the tactical watch that he was wearing beeped dully.

"Time for your shots, kids."

The three adults each drew a syringe from Adam's backpack, filled with the same vicious transparent liquid, and injected it straight into the thickest vein in their arms. They each reacted in different manners to the stuff – Evelynn gave it no second thought, Joel looked moderately uncomfortable, and Adam swayed slightly as he stood, almost delirious from the medication. When he was asked about his well-being, he simply shrugged the question off with a gruff "I'm fine", and the group made their way into the bunkhouse together. It was an identical clone of the one she and Joel had ventured into, excluding one anomaly – a large black turnstile door that was inlaid into a solid concrete wall to their right. The words 'WARNING – BIOHAZARD' were written on a black and yellow strip above the entry, their letters having faded almost to non-existence over time. An ominous white spray-paint skull and crossbones hung on the face of the door.

Her Geiger counter flickered gently against her chest.

"Here it is." Adam issued, his voice swimming in apprehension. "There isn't any telling what we'll find in there, but presume combat. Everyone get ready. Joel, help me pop this thing open."

The two burly, geared men moved to the door together, heaving and straining on the black metallic turnstile that had rusted into place over the years. With enough power put in, the wheel gave way, and the bolt clanged loudly back into the door. The four piled inwards, immediately greeted by a vast expanse as a huge room exploded out before them, in complete contrast to the black bunkrooms they'd been in. Before she could take another step, the Geiger counter became slightly livelier, and a foul smell hit her strongly.

"Ew, what the fuck is that?"

"Gas from the reactors!" Evelynn said, her voice raised. She whipped her mask from her backpack and slid it down over her face. "Masks on, now!"

They all bore the constricting plastic implements and listened to each other's breathing, exaggerated by the mechanisms that filtered the air that was breathable into their noses. They pushed through the building as a tight squad, descending a flight of stairs in single-file and then reforming at the bottom. This time, Joel had taken point, with Adam in the rear – both men had their guns primed and raised, while Evelynn strode about the atrium, seemingly at ease. Ellie kept her right hand wrapped around the hilt of Adam's .44, just in case, the SMG slung over her shoulder.

They meandered slowly through the vast warehouse underneath the first tower, observing the mass of worn and corroding computers that encircled a large hole beneath the bottom of the concrete spire. At one point, she guessed they may have been used by hundreds of normal people, regulating the pressures and energy outputs of the reactors. The pit descended at least fifty meters, and she could hear a dull pulsing sound from the dark depths. As the approached the edge and leaned her hands cautiously on the railings, her Geiger counter kicked up another step. She shuddered at the thought of having to work in such close proximity to such a deadly thing on a daily basis – to her, it seemed like elongated suicide.

"Ellie." She heard Joel's protective tones issue from behind her. "Get away from there, kiddo. It's not what we're here for."

She chose not to respond, simply returning to his side. They were just behind Adam, who was fiddling with one of the worn-out monitors that had lived on a rotting desk for the last two decades. She glanced further forwards, and saw Evelynn ascending another set of stairs that led into a peculiar hexagon-shaped viewing booth that sprouted from the room. She eased the rusted metal door open with a quiet screech, and slipped inside. She lost sight of the black-haired woman, until her voice came over the intercom, echoing softly around the massive room.

"Adam, I found something."

"Evelynn?" He asked, placing his hand to his radio and talking though his helmet into the microphone. "What are you doing?"

She didn't reply, the intercom instead being dominated by another voice that she didn't recognise. The message it carried bounced around the room, overwhelming the dull buzzing of whatever was down the gigantic pit behind them.

_"So we've been holed up in this shithole for a week, waiting for something... anything, from the Watcher. If he's in this area at all, then he sure as hell isn't interested in us. Anyway, we had a scare from the red-rings down at the town again. Amber says that if the bastards want that town, they need the plant first. Hell, if they want it, the can come and fucking-"_

There was a massive crash as concrete and metal were torn out of the walls. The glass panels of the hexagonal office exploded outward suddenly, and a hulking figure stood in the gigantic crevice it'd made. A piercing, blood-curdling roar tore through the offices, eliminating any other noise, and the beast jumped down, smacking into the cold steel of the floor. Another one of the mutated behemoth infected had arrived for dinner.

"_Evelynn_!" Adam shouted, seemingly careless towards the massive infected lumbering towards him. The beast began to charge, and she saw Joel crash into the side of the Scotsman, sending them both reeling past desks and computers, narrowly avoiding the trajectory of the grotesque hulk. They were too slow to get back off the floor, and the infected rounded on them, trudging fiercely to where they both struggled underneath the weight of their gear. Without hesitation, Ellie climbed the nearest desk and emptied the contents of the Magnum into the beast's back. It turned, enraged, and crashed through furniture towards her. As it ran, it was pursued by Evelynn who was sprinting towards them both over the catwalks hanging from the ceiling.

Ellie ducked and weaved around tables, giving the pulsating behemoth a difficult pursuit. She deftly loaded another six shots into the chamber of the revolver, and continued on her escape course. She was about to vault over another desk when one of the monitors crashed into her backpack, sending her sprawling to the floor.

Before she knew it, the beast was on top of her, rearing back one of its razor-sharp fungal arms to finish her off.

She looked upwards and screamed in terror to see Evelynn leap over the railing of a catwalk and land on the creature's back, retaining a grip in its flesh by wedging a thick combat knife in the pocket just between its shoulder blades. She yanked it out, getting a few vicious stabs in before the beast shook its shoulders and flung her off, sending her cascading across the room to land hard on a desk a good ten meters away.

The beast lowered itself onto Ellie again, and raised its arm for the final strike. The last noises she would hear were its ragged breathing and the sound of her Geiger counter going ballistic.

Suddenly, her situation changed, almost as if it were divine intervention.

Her hearing was deafened as an Anti-Materiel round tore through the air a hair's width away from her face, ripping out the majority of the beast's fungal plume. It tumbled off of Ellie, and was about to stand up, only to be forced back to the ground by a volley of silenced bullets that punched tiny holes into its bloated flesh. She turned to see Adam walk up to the wounded monster, flick a switch on the underside of his carbine, and squeeze a small trigger with his gloved hand.

A swirling stream of red, orange and yellow blossomed out of the under-barrel attachment, coating the beast in garments made of rippling colours. The heat was immense, and she felt sweat streaming in rivulets underneath her mask. The creature writhed and squirmed, screeching the entire time, until it eventually collapsed to the floor, black and smouldering. The smell it gave off was not filtered by the mask, and was nigh on unbearable. A black cylinder popped out the side of the mechanism with a dull ping, and the Scotsman spoke.

"Fireworks." She heard.

Strong hands wound their way under her shoulder blades, and she found herself on her feet, a man wearing a gas mask looking into her eyes through the foggy plastic eyelets.

"You okay, kiddo?" The voice asked. She could barely comprehend the speech, her head still ringing at how closely the gigantic bullet had flown by her face. As her vision settled, she saw it was Joel in front of her. She hugged him tightly, and noticed the green-and-yellow patterned sniper rifle slung over his back. Joel must've picked up the first weapon available when he and Adam had been downed, and immediately rushed over to save her.

She drew out of the hug, and nestled her hand in his. The two began walking over to the Watcher, who was carefully helping his mistress off of the desk she'd suddenly found herself thrown into. They left the ember-covered corpse in the dust, its scorched flesh still smoking.

"Ah, fuck…" The woman cursed, getting up with a degree of pain. She was alive, but her walk had gained a limp. The Watcher helped her down, and she threw her arm over his shoulder, unable to walk on her leg.

Joel approached with Ellie, and spoke to them bluntly.

"I don't know what the hell that was, but what say we quit this place before another turns up?"

"I agree." Adam said, surprising Ellie with his eagerness to leave.

"Did you get what you came for?" She asked, still confused.

"That and more." He said, carrying his limping lover next to him and moving back towards the flight of stairs they'd entered from. "Did you hear your Geiger counter when that thing was near you? It almost broke the fucking thing."

"I know." She uttered following them, her hand grasping the small black rectangle fastened to her lapel.

"That… that fucking thing…" Evelynn began, still panting from her endeavour. "… was not a natural occurrence. Someone's been playing god, here."

"I'd gathered." Adam countered, not in the slightest bit winded from his crashing fall with Joel. "And, if Amber's running the show in that town, we've gotta make sure it's still in one piece."

"Adam," Evelynn started, a discerning tone in her voice. You heard the audio. '_If they want the town, they need the plant._ Looks to me like they have the fucking plant!"

"Had." Adam retorted. "I doubt they got on too well with Mr Giggles back there. His arms were covered in blood that wasn't any of ours."

Joel cocked the machine gun, and brought it into his arms, ready and alert for anything else to come.

"Then how's about we bug out before we find its creators, or worse?"

"My… my sentiments exactly." The black-haired woman responded.

They moved considerably faster than before, scaling the staircase and easing out of the doorway in under a minute. They locked it firmly behind them, the bolt slamming the shut, and made their way out into the courtyard. Evening had set in by now, and the pinkish orange sky was a welcome sight compared to the dingy blue-black steel that had covered the ceiling of the immense office. They were halfway across the compound and almost back to the car when a small black cylinder landed at their feet.

The world was suddenly white, and a piercing, high-pitched beeping was all that could be heard. Ellie didn't even remember falling onto her back until the colours returned and she found herself staring up at the orange and pink-streaked canvas that was the evening sky.

She leaned upwards on her elbow to see that the population of the courtyard had vastly increased. In front of her, nestled by the side of the facility, was a black armoured van with a red circle emblazoned on the back doors. She spiralled her head around to see that they had been surrounded by men dressed in urban-camo, military-grade gear, all bearing the same marking on their chests. Joel was standing behind her, his machine gun and rifle on the floor and his hands behind his head. He shot her a glare that said '_don't try anything'. _To her west, she saw a standoff.

Adam was standing in a marksman's position, breathing heavily through the respirator of his helmet. Two red-rings lay dead beside him. He had his carbine trained at the head of another who was wearing a balaclava, and standing up tall with his hand on Evelynn's left shoulder. The woman was standing upright, her onyx-black hair a mess, tears and red marks scoring her face. Every now and again, she shuddered under his touch. Whether she was crying due to her situation or the pain in her leg, Ellie couldn't tell. A single, perfect red circle was hovering on the elder woman's forehead, bringing on a whole new man-made sense of terror.

"Let her go." The Scotsman growled, his voice filled with fury.

"Why would I do that, Watcher?" The balaclava man answered, replying with an almost mocking tone.

His voice was thick with the tones of a Russian.

"I wanted to see if the rumours were true." He continued, moving towards Evelynn, drawing his head closely into hers, then kissing her menacingly on the cheek and lingering there for a moment. She shuddered in fear, and Ellie could almost feel Adam's anger surging from his body.

"Hello, darling." The Russian continued in a sultry tone laced with madness. "What might your name be?"

She didn't respond. The muscles in the man's face tightened into a scowl beneath the balaclava.

"What is your fucking name?" He screamed, right in her ear, displaying a sudden change of personality at the silence he'd been given.

"E-Evelynn." She uttered timidly, a fresh set of tears rolling down her face.

"Evelynn." He articulated, rolling the name around in his mouth and suddenly reverting back to the evil flirt he had been before his outburst. "Evelynn." He said again with lustful courtesy, then continuing.

"Now, my darling, I'm going to need your assistance. You see, your lovely friend over there is most intent on force-feeding me a few bullets." She saw him pout patronisingly, like he was treating the situation as a game. "But, I'm afraid I'm not particularly hungry. Well, at least not as hungry as my little pet in the power plant, per se. Mutation does wonderful things, don't you agree? I'm sure that little town to the south will love to cater for... say... five of them?"

The Watcher kept his carbine trained on the man's covered face. At this distance, missing was impossible.

"However, if your lovely companion is truly overwhelmed and wants to satisfy my hunger and save the day, I'll make sure to do the same for you, if you catch my meaning." He traced his finger around the flickering red circle on her forehead, and Evelynn shuddered again.

"What… what do you want?" Evelynn managed, stuttering slightly.

The man mocked surprise, and behaved in a manner similar to a court jester. It was obvious to Ellie that he had a fair few people bouncing around in his skull, and none of them particularly pleasant company.

"Why, my dear, I only want confirmation."

He turned to face Adam, and his tone changed completely, redisplaying his bipolar nature.

"There are the terms. Now, lower your guns and take of your helmet, or I'll fill your bitch with lead."

Adam stood there, transfixed on the target in front of him. A lifetime seemed to pass, the tension rising with every millisecond. Eventually, the veteran gave in and threw his carbine to the ground at his feet. One of the red-ringed men moved up and scooped it out from under him.

He placed a gloved hand under the rim of his helmet, and pulled it away from his head. His sweat-soaked auburn mop fell around his face, splattering his forehead with damp. His green eyes were bloodshot with fury.

The balaclava man cackled and pointed at him, laughing maniacally. When he'd had his fill of comedy, he peeled the balaclava from his own face, and revealed a bald head… along with the unmistakable facial scarring of the man who'd been removed from the picture of Adam's squad. The realisation suddenly hit her.

"Pyotr." The word dripped from the Watcher's mouth like poison.

"Adam! Oh my, it's been… _such_ a long time! Of course, it could've been as short of a time as I wanted. You're very open with where you tell your minions to leave their callsigns." He made a sound similar to a tut, like a scolding mother. "Naughty boy."

Adam stood there in silence, carving holes into the man with the intensity of his stare.

"Now, Mr Cassel, I'm going to lay down some ground rules, if you'll oblige me."

He strode past Evelynn, who was stills standing stock still with the red dot trained on her skull.

He got so close to Adam that she thought the Scotsman was going to kill him then and there.

"Offhand, I'm very disappointed you managed to kill Krass. It's such a shame - he was my favourite idiot of them all." The lunatic feigned sadness. "You shouldn't hurt my operations like that, Watcher." He switched personalities, the aggressive side ploughing forward once more.

"_Ever." _The word was spoke with an immense and sudden hatred. "If I hear of a single death or sabotage… I'll take her, carve her up, and mount her on a pole." He smiled villainously in Adam's face. "Ring any bells, Watcher?"

The Scotsman said nothing, and spat at his feet.

"I thought you'd like that." He chuckled, and backed away. "At least I know when I've worn out my welcome. Fare thee well, сука." He rounded Evelynn again on his way back to the armoured truck, and slapped her rump, laughing hysterically like an immature child. The vehicle roared into action, and he was in the process of climbing in with his soldiers, when he doubled back, a new manipulative thought forming inside his crazed skull.

"Actually," He began, "I need an investment to insure your co-operation." He gestured towards Joel. "Bring the dog."

The soldier behind Joel moved forward, and pressed the barrel of the gun he was wielding into the small of his back. He issued a command, but it was too muffled by his ballistics helmet to be audible. She saw Joel glance over to her, and the look he gave told her everything she needed to know.

"Fuck this." Joel growled, sharply spinning around on the soldier. He grabbed the weapon the red-ring was carrying, deftly rotated it, and peppered the man full of bullets in mere milliseconds. She heard the clicking of a bolt to her right, and she hastily raised the Magnum that was still in her left hand, hidden under her jacket. She had lost track of the SMG she had been carrying when the beast had toppled her.

She followed the laser sight to its source, and fired. The large bullet flew quickly, easily tearing through the sniper's head, and exploding out the other side in a mist of crimson. He had been positioned poorly, not ten meters away from them, behind a tree. The mediocre cover had barely concealed him, and she saw the laser sight fall to the floor along with the rifle it was attached to.

At the sound of the gunshots, Evelynn hit the deck, and Adam threw himself into cover by the bunkhouses. Joel scooped the LMG off of the ground, and proceeded to fill the soldiers that weren't near the van full of high-calibre holes. The three by the truck returned fire as Pyotr jumped in, and then followed suit after him. She loosed another three rounds at the truck, one flying through the gap in the closing doors and striking the lunatic just below the knee. She saw him stumble, and almost fall out the back of the van as it accelerated, only to be pulled in by one of his soldiers.

The last thing she witnessed before the doors slammed shut fully was the rage on his morbidly scarred face as he made eye contact with her. The truck swung around the corner, and pulled away. She was left in an eerie and unnatural silence, save for the heavy breathing and the dull flickering of the Geiger counter on her lapel.


	10. Chapter 10 - An Old Friend

"Right, let's have a wee look - ah, shit… I think that's going to complicate things."

Next to Adam, underneath the truck, thick and shining, lay a deep pool of viscous black liquid. To the right of his prone body, a few feet away, dampening the grass growing through the cracks in the concrete was another pool of liquid, this time transparent and slowly evaporating. Bullet holes populated the front of the vehicle, and created grim, polka-dot-like patterns across the matte black surface.

The man, scruffy and fatigued from the events unfolded, shimmied out from underneath the wounded chassis of the car.

"They peppered the car before they left, smart bastards." He stood, rising to his full height, breathing deeply, continuing. "They nailed both the oil and water tanks. We're not getting anywhere without them." A sigh shook his body as he paced backwards, towards them. "At least we can be thankful none of them struck the gas line."

"Thing's would've gotten a lot warmer." The grizzled alpha-male survivor next to the veteran said. He turned, with a face composed for business. "What're you intending to do?"

The Watcher paused, staring at the ruined vehicle, wallowing, almost inhabiting in his disappointment and fear. He'd been playing a game of craps with new gamblers, and not noticed the older, wiser shooter return from the rear. His gaze turned north, and hung over the hills. He breathed deeply, visualised a plan, and issued it.

"The armoured car exited out of the gate to the west, then turned south, correct?"

"Right, to the south." Joel responded, brooding, still riled from the engagement.

"Okay." The veteran inside him crept past the compassionate side, and took the helm.

"We can't return to base, not with a high-priority hostile this close. Might be he already knows it's there."

"Gotcha. So what?"

"So," The auburn haired veteran continued, gesturing to the forest behind him, "I say we go south-east."

"You wanna try our luck in that two-bit town?"

"Two-bit is better than no bit." He countered, lowering his voice as not to disturb the women, that were seeing to each other's wounds, resting and recuperating, perched on the edge of a concrete jersey barrier a few meters away. "If Amber's running the show, we'd be welcome. More than welcome."

"Who exactly is this 'Amber' character?"

"One of the good guys, Joel. She's ex US Marines. Black market dealer after shit went south, when the Military still held sway over most of the country. She made the right choice and bugged out a few years after, going AWOL. After that, she had a few run-ins with hunters. That's how we met. Eventually she settled for the quiet life and set up a township after our business was concluded. Last I heard, her town got sacked and she was missing, and that was five years ago."

Joel huffed, surprised that so many people took it upon themselves not only to survive, but to sacrifice for others survival and even their comfort. It all seemed to extravagant to him. Perhaps he'd just gotten used to his life as a wandering nomad.

"Seems like settin' up towns is the in-thing at the moment, eh?"

Adam shrugged. "I don't know. Never found the appeal to it, myself. Too many risks. It's better to keep moving."

"I can vouch for that." Joel replied, recalling his excessive experience in that regard. He gestured over to the injured and frightened black-haired woman, who ironically had taken the position of the child as the two women patched themselves up. She was shivering, still in shock from her brush with death.

"What are you gonna do with her?"

The scotsman sighed, unsure of his plans. "I don't know. It's just our luck that this happened on her first trip out in a long time, poor girl. She's never going to want to leave again."

"She more of a homely type?"

"Not necessarily." He glanced over at her, her face still red from crying. "Where we have strength, she has brains. That's all."

"Right." Joel countered, wiping the thick red blood off of the survival knife Adam had lent him, then sliding it back into the sheath, shining, creating a small screech as it slipped into the leather holster. He continued.

"Still don't address our logistical problem, though."

"We're going to have to walk. The car isn't going anywhere without a new oil tank."

"She ain't walking 30 miles on that leg."

"I know. I could hear the bones grinding as I carried her out." He suddenly flushed over with anger. "Pyotr, that fuck. He made her stand on it the entire time."

"She didn't fall, or scream. She's got grit."

"I know." He smiled dully to himself. "She's tougher than she looks."

They glanced back over to the jersey barrier again, and saw Ellie hoisting up the left leg of Evelynn's khakis to examine the injury inflicted on her by the behemoth infected. At a distance, they saw the leg of the pants were matted with a damp crimson, sticky and thick, masking what turned out to be a large laceration in her calf where the bone had penetrated the flesh. Luckily, it hadn't come completely out of the leg, only severing the skin. At a glance, the could tell that the bone had snapped completely.

As Ellie rolled the leg of the pants upwards, Evelynn heaved and shouted in agony. The adrenaline that had dulled the pain for their escape after the fight had long subsided, and she almost passed out due to the immense pain. Adam was roused by her cry, and immediately left Joel to tend to her. He sauntered over afterward, dwelling on the events that had unfolded. He'd killed another two men today, and only added to the gigantic list he'd compiled over the years. That wasn't what burdened him, though; his mind was heavy with the fact that Ellie had been forced to kill as well.

Adam had knelt down next to Evelynn, and removed his hiking pack. Out of which he withdrew both his leather satchel, and a red, surprisingly pristine, travel-size first aid kit. He carefully opened the zip, conservatively opening the pack as to not damage the contents. He sifted around for a while, eventually drawing out a spiel of bandages, a tube of cream labelled 'ANTI-SEPTIC', and a white-clean, fraying rag. Upon questioning what the rag was for, Ellie was met with a response that said "Noise management." Evelynn looked at her, her blue eyes cowering in realisation. There were no painkillers to be seen.

"All right, Evie, just... just be strong for me, okay?"

Evelynn didn't reply; Adam followed up by unwinding some of the bandage and prepping the thick tube of antiseptic cream.

He gestured to the two of them.

"Ellie, Joel. Take a look around, see if you can find me some pieces of wood. Preferably thin."

"Like a two-by-four?" Ellie queried.

"Yeah, just like that. Try and find a few of them."

"Alright." Joel said, moving off slowly. "C'mon, kiddo."

Ellie trailed slowly behind him, leaving the Watcher to tend to his mistress.

They walked for a few minutes, eventually coming across a garage-looking structure on the limits of the compound. Luckily enough, the runners that may've been present a few hours previously had all moved off, vainly chasing after the loud thrum of the large-engined armoured car as it sped off, believing they could catch it and chow down on its inhabitants. The fauna of the area had overgrown the overwhelming majority of the power plant, with vines and crawlers now visible, casting green lines over the faded grey of the concrete cooling towers. At the extreme edges of the facility, the Geiger counter was less active, flickering every now and again to remind her where they were. A medium sized pine tree penetrated the concrete roof of the garage, jutting out the top and casting a long, pleasant shadow over the dirt-covered concrete courtyard they'd traversed.

Joel moved over to the corrugated iron door, rusted shut, tarnished a dull red-brown, and managed to raise it just high enough to slip his fingers underneath. He heaved, the thick, strong muscles in his back tensing, visible through the sweat-stained shirt that clung to his body. With enough force, the door shifted, screeching as rust was chewed up in the hinges of the door. It raised slightly, just enough for a person to squeeze through, before there was a loud clang, and it stuck fast in its place.

"That'll about do it. Under we go."

She went prone, then shuffled gently forward and entered the darkness of the storage room. In the far wall, a single window stood, and the afternoon sun created an iridescent sheen on the particles of dust that hung loosely in the air. The room was slightly lit, and the faint outlines of miscellaneous maintenance items met her eyes.

"Alright. There's gotta be some wood in here somewhere. Let's look around."

The two sifted through shelves and boxes, searching for anything that fit Adam's description. The work was mundane, and incredibly boring - eventually, Ellie couldn't keep her thoughts to herself any longer.

"Why are we still with these people?"

Joel leaned up. "What?" He asked.

She turned to meet his gaze. "Why are we still here?"

"You mean, why ain't we left them yet?"

"Yeah."

Joel pondered for a moment, then continued.

"Are you gettin' attached to them?"

She looked down at the floor, her resolve wavered at how quickly he'd calculated her feelings.

"They're good people, Joel." She uttered.

"Sure." He replied, moving over to her, kneeling, and placing his hand on her shoulder. "They are good people, I give you that. But the truth is that all good people go bad when they got the right motivation. Catch my drift?"

She chose not to reply, playing the ignorant girl card, hoping he wasn't getting at what she thought he was. He elaborated for her.

"The point is, we're the only two that matter. Now, they've shown us kindness, they saved us, fed us and healed us, and I'm sure grateful for that, but... She's a scientist, and he's obsessed with killing bandits. I've been in this game too long, Ellie. If things go south... well, when things go south... we leave. We stay for however long it suits us, then we leave."

"Just like Tommy's?" She asked defiantly.

"Just like Tommy's." He confirmed. She wasn't sure whether he'd picked up on her arguing of his decision. She let it slide, reasoning that now was not the time to discuss their motives.

The radio on Joel's lapel cracked into life, issuing a low-quality voice into the space around them.

"_Joel, you there?"_

_"_Yeah, here." He responded.

"_Dig anything up?"_

"Still looking."

"_Alright. Just make it quick; Evelynn isn't getting any better by waiting."_

The radio lay silent, the line disconnected. Joel breathed in slowly, and let out a sigh.

"Alright." He began. "Keep looking."

Another few minutes rolled past, yielding no results. Eventually, her hand traced around a large, thin and metallic rectangle, almost like the lid to a long box, or something in that regard. She curled her fingers around the exposed top, lifted the item, and stuck her head into the gap in the shelf to gain a closer look. Underneath were another three, equal in size and thickness.

She picked them up gently, nestling them in her gloved hands, and made her way back over to Joel. She stopped his busy searching with a light touch to his back, and showed him the items. He nodded, touched the radio on his label, and spoke.

"On our way back now."

No reply came. They walked in a duo together, eventually coming to a stop and shimmying back underneath the door into the evening light. They wandered gently around the compound, drinking in the sights of the sky and fauna, the cool air on their faces, Geiger counters ticking lightly. They arrived back at the jersey barrier to find Evelynn wearing Adam's military jacket, the two huddling for warmth, Evenlynn's injured leg still exposed. Adam stood, and made his way over to them.

"You're back. Find anything?"

"Here." Ellie offered him the long, thin rectangles of metal.

His face lit up at the sight of something adequate. "Perfect."

He moved back around to Evelynn, and cringing, she raised her injured leg. Joel and Ellie moved toward the two, spectating.

"Alright, Evie... I've got to-"

"I know." She spluttered, desperately. "I know what you have to do. Science major, remember? Gimme the rag, please."

Joel lifted the rag, handed it to Adam, who handed it to Evelynn. She took it in her right hand and stuffed it in her mouth. Hesitantly, she nodded at the scotsman. He placed some of the white cream onto his hand, and gently touched it to her laceration.

She tensed, her face contorted with pain, a muffled scream quietly penetrating the rag in her mouth. She bit down on the fabric, her whole body tight as Adam gently worked the antiseptic into her wound. When he finished, he bound the wound tightly with the spiel of bandage, placed the metal rectangles around her leg, bracing it, and wrapped another layer around, lashing the braces to the injury. After a few more moments of recovery, He slipped a muscular arm underneath hers, and hoisted her up onto her feet. She stood fine on her right foot, and gently placed her left on the ground. The splint worked, and she could lightly stand on it without experiencing too much pain.

"Her leg is pretty serious." Adam said, removing the rag from her mouth and tossing it aside. "She's going to need rest and morphine to recover properly."

"We ain't going to have any medical attention for a while." Joel stated.

"I know." He replied, moving forward with his limping spouse clutching to his burly shoulders. "Our best bet is that town the recording in the plant discussed."

"Fuck, seriously?" Evelynn asked between heavy breaths. "That's nearly thirty miles away... why can't we go to the mine?"

"You know why." Adam responded. She looked at him in distaste, but nodded regardlessly.

"So, we're walking?" Ellie enquired, remembering the pearlescent pools of liquid beneath the bullet-riddled coupe.

"We're walking." Joel confirmed. He moved up to the injured woman, and supported her other side. Ellie moved back over to the jersey barrier and scooped up the 22 Hunting Rifle that Eveylnn had left strewn over the concrete. The men would be busy carrying her - they needed someone to take point. For the first time in a long time, Ellie felt like the strong one of the group.

The walked together, Ellie checking around corners and sighting out the complex before the other three caught up. The facility was as good as abandoned - all that remained was the odd corpse of an infected, and the husk of a burnt-out car that drooped sadly against the concrete floor. The reached the extreme of the compound in a few minutes, and Ellie carefully cut a large swathe of the chain-link fence away with her pen knife. The sharpened and well-tempered steel slid through the rusted metal wires as easily as it had carved through the venison they'd eaten before they'd set out. Her stomach gurgled at the thought of sumptuous, cooked meat. She didn't foresee them eating again until they reached Amber's town.

Conversation was lacking on the journey; everyone was still in shock or contemplating their brush with the leader of the red-rings. Surprisingly enough to her, that man had put her more on edge than the mammoth infected had when it'd almost killed her. Dealing with him would never be a pleasant experience; she just hoped Adam was capable of knowing when to stop, so that they could avoid another meeting with the crazed bastard.

Every know and again they'd need to clamber over logs or debris in the forest, and the ambience of nature was shattered by a pained yelp from Evelynn. When the scientist wasn't in absolute agony, the forest was a beautiful and forgotten place - no one had been here since the outbreak. The grass had grown waist-high, dampening trousers and concealing obstacles, but making the walk more fun that it would've been otherwise. Wildlife was abundant, with birds, rabbits and deer being a common sight in the autumnal woods.

She pondered to herself on why the outbreak happened, as she so often had. She'd heard hundreds of stories from hundreds of people; that scientists went too far, some asteroid crashed on Earth, rabies evolved to humans, and other nonsense to that degree. She'd formulated her own opinion on the crisis shortly after she'd met Joel, as she'd seen the ruined cities, and observed what humans had done to their planet.

The human race had spread too far too quickly, with little or no effort for conservation, like a virus. They infected the Earth, sapping its resources and destroying its species, taking control and slowly killing it. In reply to this human virus, planet Earth had responded in equal context, before it was too late - Cordyceps had spread from ants, to vermin, to crops, to humans, paving the way for Mother Nature to reclaim everything she'd lost to them. Of course, some humans survived, as she had intended. Earth didn't want to destroy the human race - it just wanted them to learn a valuable lesson.

After around two hours of dismal progress, they came across a cottage in the woods, overgrown with foliage. It had originally sat in a clearing, possibly reserved as a holiday home for someone with the privilege - now it lay dormant, the clearing having consumed it on all sides. They moved gently towards it, the forest standing watch on all sides.

As they approached, she saw it'd been occupied fairly recently - some of the grass around the edges had been cut away, and one of the smaller trees had been cut away at the stump, segmented into chunks, and piled by the rear wall of the cottage. The windows were sealed with sheets of metal, and an improvised wooden deer-hunting stand stood next to the eastern wall, concealed by a woodland camouflaged net that made it blend in with the fauna.

"At... at last." She heard Evelynn murmur. The scientist had been slipping in and out of consciousness for the entire journey.

"Joel, go with Ellie. Check the place out, yeah? I've got Evie."

"Sure." Joel replied. He moved forward, comfortingly placed his hand on Ellie's back, and moved forward with her. They walked around the front of the stone cottage to the balcony, and discovered to their surprise that there was no road leading away from it; there wasn't even a track linking up to anywhere else. She understood why this place had been fortified - it made a great base, cosy and functional, hard to find, and relatively large.

They walked together up the damp wooden steps, and Joel placed his gloveless hand gently on the rusted brass doorknob. He twisted it to the left, and the door gently swung open, allowing the evening sun to cascade gently into the homely cottage.

The building itself was relatively large, but the interior was very simple - it was all one big room. There was a table sitting silently just next to the door, a pristine and ornate gas-powered lamp resting on the mahogany surface. She placed her fingers around the knob, turned it slightly, and a small naked flame filled the remaining dark spaces of the room in a warm, orange light.

On the far left-hand side were a collection of bedrolls, some better than others; one was a pre-outbreak sleeping bag manufactured professionally, one a collection of quilts and bedsheets sown together, the other three, more improvised, constructed with cobbled-together animal hides, were strewn across the floor next to them.

A large, stone hearth sat in the middle of the longest wall, charcoal sitting in its base, a mark of wood recently burned.

Joel raised his hand to the radio on his lapel and spoke clearly into it.

"All clear."

No reply followed, but his call was answered a few moments later as Adam and Evelynn struggled through the door into the cottage.

As he seated her gently on a wooden chair in the corner, and the three adults took their shots of inhibitor, Ellie used the time to look around the room. Paintings were hanging on the wall, faded but still beautiful, reflecting days long gone. There were people smiling, ornate buildings, and cityscapes; but her favourite was a panorama of a seaside resort, the crystal-blue waves lapping against perfect white-gold sand.

Her eyes moved over a nearby desk, on which lay a letter, and one of the 9mm pistols the red-ring bandits carried. The letter was folded in half, and had an eye drawn on the side that faced the ceiling.

She went to call Adam, only to be silenced when a hand moved to grasp the letter and she turned to see him standing right next to her. He picked it up in his military grade gloves, turned it over a few times, and gave her a cautious look.

"That pistol..." She began.

"Red-rings?"

"Yeah."

He walked into the centre of the room, unfolded the yellowed paper, and began reading.

"_Watcher," _He dictated. _"I recently received word that you moved back north a few years ago, seeking a safe refuge from which you could plan your attacks. Unfortunately for me, you are as hard to find as they say you are. I've heard stories of your efforts in this area, and of your newfound adversaries, the most recent of which you destroyed an outpost further south a week or so ago."_

Evelynn had tuned back in, looking him over as he read the note.

"What's that talking about?" She inquired.

Instead of responding, he turned to her and continued reading.

"_In that regard, we share a common enemy. We have tried to contact you, but our efforts have gone unanswered. We lost the electrical plant that powered our town a few days back - they were there, and they were up to something horrible. I sent five scouts up after their soldiers pushed us out, but they didn't return."_

_"_Scouts?" Evelynn inquired.

"The corpses in the bunkrooms that weren't infected." Joel interjected, putting the pieces together.

_"Therefore, I am to presume they are dead." _He continued. _"And, that I'm writing this letter so no one will read it. However, on the off chance that you stumbled across this cottage, feel free to use it to your own accord for as long as you need."_

"Shit, that's convenient." Ellie stated.

"Being the good guy isn't easy, but it always finds a way to reward you." Adam responded. He traced down the writing until he found where he'd left off, and then proceeded reading the message.

_"All I can say to that is that I hope you don't use it for too long. The soldiers who took our plant did so with the knowledge it would cripple us - the town will be next, I imagine."_

The other three listened in silence, drinking in this new information.

_"Please, Watcher. If you read this, please. Help us." _He lifted his head up from the note and let the arm that held it fall to his side. The last line he was able to recite from memory.

"_Signed, an old friend."_


	11. Chapter 11 - Masquerade

The next day brought nothing to her but aching feet and sodden confidence.

They had a restless night to say the least; the weather had been inclement, wind gushing in and out of gullies, singing belligerently and refusing to be silenced, echoing, and holding her back from the deep embrace of sleep.

Two of the four vagabonds in the chalet had dropped into slumber the moment they'd hit the fabric of the sleeping mats, cascading into a dreamless rest in their bodies' vain attempt to try and recuperate some of the energy they'd lost during the extremities of the endeavour to the plant. Despite the throbbing pain that her wound was inflicting on her, the slender, black-haired, joking scientist had hardly stirred during the night, deeply breathing and snoring slightly on her inhalations. Whether her abnormally deep sleep was due to achieving a state of slumber, or just a product of agony-induced unconsciousness, Ellie couldn't decide.

She had pretended to be asleep for the majority of the night; partially in a vain hope to coax her tensed body into actually resting, but also to listen to and observe the other restless presence in the chalet. Adam had lay down onto the bedroll in the worst shape, out of chivalry for everyone else - however, the hulking scotsman had risen and moved away from the sleeping fold almost the moment everyone else had drifted off. She knew it wasn't from the discomfort of the wooden floor, or the stench of the slowly decomposing hides, but simply because he worried. The large man had silently moved across the room, and sat by his lover's bed as she slept, all night, unmoving, watching the steady rise and fall of her abdomen.

Eventually, a few hours before dawn, she got up and did the same, sitting by Joel's bedroll and leaning on him for the last few hours before daybreak. When she had approached, Adam hadn't acknowledged her; he had obviously been to engrossed in his thoughts as he gazed at the injured scientist, almost with a sense of despair in his eyes. He had removed his SAS jacket, and sat with his arms folded, the names written on his right bicep clearly visible. Every now and again, she watched him subconsciously stroke his tattoo of memoriam. She had looked for too long once, and he had met her gaze. He simply looked at her, sighed, and moved off to prepare his gear as the sun penetrated the horizon for the new day. She had sat there, leaning up against Joel, until he had woken up, wallowing in her silence.

Everyone had woken shortly after daybreak, though some more easily than others - Joel had grunted slightly, and tensed at the dull throbbing in his abdomen, but apart from that, he had risen almost normally and proceeded over to help Adam clean and load the guns they'd managed to salvage from their skirmish the previous day. Evelynn's awakening hadn't been as nonchalant - the moment consciousness had returned, pain had reared its ominous head. She'd accidentally rolled to the right, only to yelp loudly in pain as the bones in her badly injured leg shifted. Adam had darted over to her in a heartbeat, and deftly, with great care and attention, lovingly lifted her off of the floor and retied her splint, gently running his hand down her contorted face and muttering words of comfort.

Whether what they'd eaten that morning was to be classed as 'breakfast' was something of a mystery to her - the fresh meat they'd brought with them had been tainted by the oil of the damaged coupe, and the only supplement they had left was a pack of dried, salted venison jerky that Joel had prepared, and some questionable mushrooms that Adam had plucked out of the ground after a short time foraging the area around the cottage. Adam had become completely silent upon discovery that the canned food promised in the store had all been taken, or opened and left to rot, indicating a recent presence in the cabin. The letter to him had been concealed rather well, and as such had been overlooked by the previous tenants - however, the lack of food in the chalet made the idea the letter had been written weeks ago depressingly plausible.

The two types of food they'd prepared definitely did not mix, and the sensation was something akin to combining salty tyre rubber and rotten couch stuffing. Regardless of the unpleasantness that was their entree, the food partially filled a gap in her stomach that had been almost hollow since the last of her energy reserves were sapped fleeing from the gigantic infected. She felt moderately comfortable with her feed, although she realised that the injured woman and the two huge, towering men accompanying her would hardly be satisfied by the meager portions they'd eaten.

They had set off shortly afterward, not hesitating to leave the area due to the security risk of other people in the vicinity. Joel had ransacked a few cupboards, and upturned few valuable items; what he did uncover proved its worth, however. They made good use of an extra radio, a handful of batteries, an old, worn, olive-green hiking pack of which Adam moved all of the gear from his smaller backpack into, and a half-empty bottle of painkillers that immediately went down Evelynn's gullet. The last thing he'd found was a surprisingly pristine, high-quality electronic camera, of which she immediately asked to examine. No one gave any objections, so she'd sat and trawled through the hundreds of pictures displayed on the tiny display screen, mostly of birds and other wildlife from a time when that place had been used as a camping location.

After the medication, Evelynn could lay some pressure on her split leg, but she still relied on the strong backs of the two men to hold her upright. They took duty on either side of her, each with one of the woman's arms over their broad, hardened shoulders. Due to this complication, Evelynn told Ellie to keep the 22 Hunting Rifle, and Joel had suggested that she take point for them.

The terrain had initially been easy enough; the chalet was intersected by a simple but worn, sun-faded grey driveway, of which walking had been a breeze. Despite the ease at which they had spanned the seven-hundred meters the driveway had extended, the rest of the journey refused to follow suit. The road didn't lead anywhere; presumably, it'd been a work in progress, or there had once been a dirt track that had linked it to some other place, now long grown over by fauna.

They had clambered through trees, over boulders and up and down inclines for hours, and progress had been absolutely dismal. Even at full health, one was not capable of traversing country of that fashion quickly, and with four extremely fatigued people, one of whom was injured, the journey seemed to stretch on for a lifetime. On the odd occasion, she'd hear a muffled expletive from one of the people behind her, the speaker of which commonly changed.

She spoke a few herself; branches and bushes seemed to prop up suddenly out of nowhere and swipe her across the face, or the mud beneath her sturdy boots would give way and get the ass of her pants wet and filthy. By the time they'd reached a clearing in the relentless thickness of the forest, she noticed she had strayed a little too far ahead, and rested her aching body carefully onto a cool, moss covered boulder that jutted up and out of the soil. The men were equally dirty as she was, although Evelynn had been spared of the filth; the two strong pairs of shoulders supporting her had kept her out of the majority of the bog they'd practically waded through. They had temporarily stopped together at that boulder, and Ellie had drawn the dusty camera out of her backpack and suggested a photo shoot to lighten the mood.

To her surprise, everyone agreed.

The clearing they'd entered was beautiful; the thickness of the forest gave way to a steepish cliff, sharp but traversable, that led down through thin foliage into a little brook that bubbled and gurgled at the lowest point.

They had sat there for a few hours, catching their breath, and sharing friendly stories. It'd been the first time they'd properly spoken to each other as a group since they day before, and it helped massively in alleviating the stress that hung over them. After some friendly banter, they decided to take some photographs before setting off down the brook that gurgled below.

She shot one of Adam and Evelynn together; Adam looked haggard and worn, but still maintained his strength. Despite his appearance, he still smiled, and it was as natural as the dirt that clung to his clothes. Evelynn leaned up against him, and smiled equally, her teeth straight and a beautiful white. The picture they'd taken had highlighted her beauty; her eyes glowed an iridescent blue, and he face was flushed from the walk, giving her cheeks a bronzed colour. For the first time since Ellie had met her, Evelynn didn't look like she was under some sort of pressure.

She had gotten another one of Adam on his own, tending to the rifles, one of herself, and had given the camera to Evelynn, as she took one of her and Joel sitting together on the rock. She hadn't seen him smile in a long time, years almost; but the one he wore was as genuine as the love he bore for her. She made a moral choice to keep that camera for the rest of her life, immortalising the beauty of nature and the kindness of her friends, both old and new. She'd stowed the camera back into her rucksack, and the group finished up their business by the boulder.

The next leg of their journey had proved considerably harder than the first, and had dampened her confidence to the point where it was almost non existent. The brook had rapidly changed into a larger river, with rocks that were impossibly slippery and occupying the entirety of the floor. Her boots were sodden through within minutes, and as such the grip on their soles were rendered useless; she slipped over constantly, one time fully going in, despite the water only being knee high at its highest. As they'd journeyed downstream, they'd had to stop multiple times, as the stones and boulders that had fallen over the decades grew into taller and much more difficult to descend sculptures. She had to stop and help the men after one situation, where she'd struggled to get down the rockface, and they had had to strategically transfer Evelynn from top to bottom whilst keeping her dry, translating into both them and Ellie becoming drenched through after their efforts. Shortly afterward had called for another break, as Adam had finally cracked under the weight of the gun-filled hiking pack, and needed to pass it over to Joel to carry, in the consideration that the scotsman's back probably needed to stay in one piece.

It'd taken them nearly six hours to walk the length of the river, and they finally arrived where it opened up into a large, still, cyan-silver lake. Ellie stopped reminiscing about the day, and helped to set up a small camp as the evening set in, drawing up a fire and trying to dry their clothes as much as possible after they'd cleaned the filth and muck off of them. The boots were the worst off, and everyone had removed theirs to avoid the suffering of walking around in sodden footwear. The grass on the banks of the lake were cool and comforting on her feet, and the aches that she'd borne during the day gradually faded as the cool air stroked her exposed face. The two men had gone off together an hour or so previously, and she had sat herself lazily down next to Evelynn and discussed their pasts, feeling the need to distract the scientist from the throbbing pain of her snapped leg-bone.

"So how'd you two meet?" She said. "I kinda got the vibe it wasn't exactly a cakewalk."

"No, you're right." Evelynn replied. "It definitely wasn't."

The black haired woman picked up a small pebble, and lazily tossed it into the crystal lake, creating ripples across the surface.

"Adam and I met," The scientist began, "in a circumstance that really isn't that shocking nowadays."

"How'd it go down?"

"Hunters. Hardly one for variety, is he?"

Ellie chuckled lightly at Evelynn's humour.

"Anyway," she continued, "it all went down a long time ago. Nearing eight years, now."

"Were things different back then?"

"Some were, some weren't. Everyone was a lot more scared of the infected. Now, of course, the tables have turned. The human race does amaze me sometimes. We make the stupidest decisions."

Ellie cast her eyes to the floor. "I can vouch for that."

"So, everyone was a lot more scared of the infected, right? Including me. We'd just started to see the first few Clickers, and things were getting a lot more serious than they had been. Therefore, me, my brain, and my knowledge of biology plucked up a weird drive to go out and study them."

"Why?"

"Why not?" The black haired woman met her gaze. "It's no different to scientists studying any other virulent disease in the past. The only change was that I had no one to do my field work for me, so I picked up a gun and did it myself. It worked well, to begin with."

"To begin with?"

"Yeah. One day I got into a rough spot, and ended up lost in some woods. It was a week before I found any sign of civilisation, eventually coming across a city quite far north. I hadn't eaten, and had survived on water." She laughed quietly. "I was a pretty shitty shot back then. Hitting a deer was certainly a mission."

"You're still here, though. You survived."

"Yeah, but no thanks to my marksmanship. I was so hungry that I wandered into the town, my mind fully focussed on finding food, and only on that. As such, I didn't plan a way in, and some assholes got the jump on me. They caught me in a already-looted grocery store, and I fought like hell to get free. Didn't kill them though. They chased me around the town for the next whole hour."

"Why didn't you just shoot the bastards?"

She shrugged. "I don't know... I panicked, maybe? I honestly can't remember. All I can recall was the running, and then falling over."

"You fell?"

"Shot, actually. One of them managed to get a bullet into me. He was almost as bad at shooting as I was. He fired a volley, but all of them missed. One managed to rebound off of a metal sheet on the ground, though. It hit me right in the back of the leg, just under the knee. It fragmented, so I had a whole bunch of shrapnel in me."

"Then he appeared?"

"Bingo. He stuck his head around the corner, peppered the one who shot me, and hollered at the other to leave. He did, the coward. Dropped his gun and ran right off. Unfortunately, the gunshots had roused every fucking infected in the town. The last thing I remember saying to Adam was; 'Thanks for capping that bastard', then I passed out. Next thing I knew, he was sitting next to my bed, ready to take the shrapnel out."

"I thought you were the doctor?"

"I was. I taught him how to fix people, he taught me how to kill them. Ying and yang."

She hesitated for a moment, and then continued.

"Plus, I pulled him out of an incredibly hard time. He'd just lost the last guy in his squad. The guy's name was some military slang, I think it was-"

"Blufor."

"Yeah, that was it. Anyway, Adam hardly spoke for the first week, he was determined to hunt down the man who'd killed Blufor. It was bordering on an unhealthy obsession, so... I suggested we pull some infected in, so I could study them. That's when we decided we needed a better set-up. Shortly afterward, we were a thing. Bonded in grief, like so many others."

"Like Joel and I..."

"Yeah, just like you two." The elder woman ruffled the teen's auburn ponytail comfortingly. "But, bonds formed in fire are always the strongest."

Ellie smiled, and looked up to Evelynn.

"You come up with that one yourself?" She asked jokingly.

"What? Of course not." She chuckled in reply. "I always hated English. Too fucking vague."

They waited there together for an hour or so, and Ellie slowly began to get past the overwhelming sense of betrayal she'd felt at Evelynn's concealment of her infection. For her, that had been a fatal lie; she never looked at people the same way after that, and never would again; her bite was long healed, but Riley still floated around in the back of her consciousness. Despite this anger, and disappointment, the hostility she bore Evelynn for infecting Joel was starting to waver. Adam was right; the older woman and her were alike, and she definitely meant well. Ellie debated whether she would've done the same thing in Evelynn's place.

Before she had time to properly mull the situation over, the bushes just around the corner from them ruffled, and a silhouette appeared in the foliage, its identity masked by the evening light. Evelynn tensed at the disturbance, and Ellie quickly scooped up the 22 Hunting Rifle, and trained the barrel toward the rustling bushes.

"Ellie, Evelynn!" Joel's voice called out. "Get on over here!"

"You go." Evelynn murmured to her quietly, drawing a pistol to her side. "I can handle myself."

Ellie got up without a word, and made her way over to where Joel was now standing, the light machine gun raised and pointed into the bushes.

"What's up?" She asked when she arrived beside him.

He gave her a look that said 'wait and see', and then hollered into the foliage.

"All clear."

More rustling followed, and another two silhouettes emerged from the edge of the forest. One of them, at the rear, was Adam, who had restrained the other; she was younger, not much older than Ellie, and ghastly to look at. Where Ellie was holding onto her last shreds of innocence, this girl had clearly thrown all hers away a long time ago. Her head was half shaved, with a dirty brunette side-combed Mohican that stuck to the right flank of her face and stretched down to her lower neck, in vain attempt at recreating a punk-rock hairstyle. She wore a torn black singlet, with gothic and violent tattoos on each arm, vulgar and offensive where Evelynn's were beautiful. The girl's face was moderately normal, barring the two rings in her right eyebrow, and the tiny metal ball-bearing that protruded from a lip piercing.

"Get your damn hands off me, asshole."

"You ought to watch your mouth, girl." Adam spoke forcibly.

"Fuck you."

He wrestled her forward, his colossal strength dwarfing her own. The girl was moved toward Ellie and Joel, and Ellie could now see that she was no older than eighteen.

The girl turned to Adam, still playing the role of loudmouth.

"You better have a fucking good reason for bringing me here, you foreign bastard."

Joel muttered to Ellie.

"Real piece o' work, this one."

The girl shot Joel an obnoxious look of patronising distaste.

"No more than you, old man. What, you forget your dentures or something?"

Joel chose not to respond, and the girl turned her eyes to Ellie.

"Who's this tyke?" She asked mockingly.

The girl's tone, and her insults to Joel and Adam sparked Ellie's temper into a flame. Two could play the hothead game.

"It's Ellie, you bitch." She almost shouted. "And for the record? Those are my friends you're talking about, so how's about you shut the hell up?"

"What a tongue you've got, you little shit." The girl countered. "Might be I find somewhere else to shove it than your mouth."

"If you don't cram it, I'm gonna-"

Joel's hand clamped gently onto her shoulder.

"Drop it, kiddo."

"But-"

"Drop it. She ain't got nothing on us."

Ellie did as she was told, and the girl chuckled obnoxiously, seemingly satisfied with her meager victory. Adam ushered her forward, and the four walked back around to where Evelynn was sitting. Ellie glanced at the girl a few times, and noticed ligature markings on her wrists, indicating that she'd tried to wriggle free. Adam didn't tie knots for the sake of it; his were disciplined, tidy, and military; and probably more effective than handcuffs would ever be.

The girl was silent as they walked around the perimeter of the lake, only piping up to spew some belligerent abuse towards Evelynn when they arrived. The slender woman gave no reply, only shooting the teen an intense glare. Adam practically threw the girl down by a tree, and lashed her bonds around the outside of the trunk.

"This knot," he began, "will get tighter as you try to wiggle around. So if I were you, I'd be a polite little girlie from now on, yeah?"

"You're an A-Class asshole, huh?"

The scotsman turned away and left the girl tied sitting by the tree, wandering the few paces back over to where a little fire was popping and swirling as the night air drew in and the sky became darker, and everyone else sat around it, gathering warmth.

"Where'd you pick that thing up?" Evelynn asked, gesturing towards the obnoxious youth lashed to the small pine tree behind them.

"In the woods, a few miles from here. She was just wandering around."

"Damn good actor, that one." Joel added sarcastically.

"How do you mean?" His statement confused Evelynn.

"She was all tears and sadness at first, sayin' that we had to save a friend o' hers lost in the woods or something. She led us into a spot, and pulled a knife on us."

"Then I restrained her." Adam said.

Joel chuckled, remembering what'd happened.

"Restrained her? You tackled her like a football player."

"That still hurts, you fuck." The girl hollered from behind, apparently eavesdropping on their conversation. Adam turned, his patience being tested.

"What was that I said about being a good little girl?"

"Bite me, asshole."

Adam sighed, and turned back into the group.

"Yeah, I thought so."

Evelynn continued pressing for information.

"So what's her real gambit?"

"No clue." Joel replied. "She said she was from that town, though. Her name's Buck, or something like that."

"That's right!" The girl replied from the back. "Buck, it rhymes with-"

"We get the idea." Evelynn interjected.

The girl chuckled in satisfaction, then settled back down and mocked sleep, snoring loudly in her efforts to frustrate everyone.

"You think she's for real?" Ellie asked.

For a moment no one responded, all of them simply weighing up the situation. Adam spoke up first.

"I don't know, not for certain. Whether she's doing this for her own gain and lying through her teeth or not, I'm not sure. But, if she does know the way to this town, she might know Amber."

Evelynn contributed next.  
>"Maybe you should ask her."<p>

The Watcher didn't respond, simply engaging in an action. He stood quickly, moved over to the hiking pack, and scooped his helmet up off of the ground, carrying it in his left hand. In his other, he held the gleaming .44. He deftly skirted around the side of the fire, gestured to Joel, and made his way swiftly over to the surly youth who was now illuminated by a dull orange glow. Joel followed suit, and stood behind Adam as he knelt down beside the girl. They were talking loudly enough for Ellie to listen in, so she stayed seated next to Evelynn, drinking in the warmth of the fire.

"You see this?" Adam inquired, holding the dull grey, steel-lined helmet up to Buck, and identifying the ornate blue eye patterned on the forehead. "What does this mean to you?"

"Oh, shit!" The girl replied, laughing almost maniacally, realising what the symbol meant. "No way, you're not... you're the goddamn Watcher? I heard he was Scottish, but..."

"But?"

Her face changed from fake humour to a mocking and almost absent glare.

"I fucking hate that guy."

He sighed, and continued pressing for information.

"Joel." He muttered.

Joel drew Adam's survival knife from his belt, and the scotsman took it in his hand, laying the helmet on the grass next to him. He raised the blade of the knife to the palm of the girl's left hand, and pressed slightly, just enough to draw a small amount of blood.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice."

"I thought you were into good shit, bro. Like daisy picking, and knitting?"

Adam pressed the knife a little harder, trying to push past her sarcasm.

"Woman around here that goes by the name of Amber. What do you know?"

"Amber? Oh, that yellow rock? You collect stones too? Wow, you're such a fag, I had no fucking idea."

The temper Adam had displayed in the operating room a few days ago spiked up again. He didn't fuck around when it came down to protecting his friends. He moved the knife from the girl's palm to the top of her neck, just underneath her jaw, and continued the same technique.

"Amber. What do you know?"

"Fuck all, bro."

"What do you know?"

She spat on his hand, and his face contorted where he swallowed his rage.

He rotated the knife around, and gently pressed the point into her throat, just scratching the surface of her skin.

"Last chance, or I make you into a fucking pin cushion."

Adam's show of anger actually managed to sway Buck, and Ellie thought she saw a smidgen of fear swimming in those cocky eyes that mocked you as they looked you over.

Ellie glanced over to Evelynn, who was intensely observing the situation. She almost looked surprised by Adam's methods. Joel seemed to think of it as nothing more than a morning coffee.

"Easy, bro, easy. I'll tell you what you want to know. Just... take that there razor away, huh?"

Adam didn't reply, simply swiveling the knife around in his hand and slamming it blade-down into the soft earth.

"Alright." Buck began. "Who was it, Amber, right? Yeah, I know her. Crazy bitch. Some kind of military drop out, I don't know. She took it upon herself to run that town a few miles south, but I haven't seen hide nor tail of her in a while."

"But she's at that town, the town you're from?"

"I ain't saying."

"You're from that town?"

"I ain't fucking saying."

"Which means yes." Joel added cynically.

"Exactly." Adam leaned in close to the girl, intimidating her.

"Here's what's going to happen." He started. "You're gonna take us to that town, yeah? No strings attached, and no tricks. You try anything, and you'll end up a human kebab. You got me?"

"I got you, asshole." She replied.

Adam took that as what it was, and left Buck sitting by the pine, with nothing else to say to the disrespectful teenager. He wandered back over with Joel, and the two sat down by the fire with the two women. Evelynn looked surprisingly uncomfortable in Adam's presence when he was in this state. Ellie wondered whether she actually truly knew how Adam operated.

"You shouldn't have been so forceful." She said to him.

He looked up at her. "What?"

"You should've been kinder."

"She's a bully." He justified, turning his head back to face the fire. "Bullies respond to strength."

Evelynn also broke off the look, and turned her eyes towards the tiny, crackling flames. "It's just not like you." She murmured softly.

He didn't respond to that statement, only continuing to stare into the swirling orange and yellow of the campfire that warmed and protected them from the cold of the autumn night. Joel turned to her after a few minutes, and beckoned her over to him. They walked to the water's edge, and scooped up two the the sleeping mats they'd brought with them, lashed to the top of Adam's pack. He gently unravelled them both to avoid ruining the careful folds and poor stitches, then laid down on the shoddier of the two, leaving Ellie with the practically pristine modern sleeping bag.

"How's about you get some sleep, huh? Been a damn long day."

"Tell me about it." She lay down on the sleeping back and gazed upwards at the hundreds and thousands of shining white specks populating the night sky.

"Stay till it suits us, right?" She asked.

"Bingo." He replied. "I ain't exactly placing my full confidence in this town of his, so just be ready to haul ass, if we need to. I got a bad feeling about that Buck girl."

"Me too." She replied.

"If I didn't say before..." She continued. "It's good to have you back. I missed you so fucking much."

She saw him smile in her peripheral.

"Glad to be back, kiddo. Someone's gotta look after you." He turned over, hugged her gently, and fell back onto his own mat.

"Night, baby girl. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Joel."

She shut her eyes, and fell into the deep embrace of sleep.


	12. Chapter 12 - One Way Or Another

A sparrow chirped, and happily jumped around the branches and infrastructure of a towering, moss-jacketed tree, flitting carefully, thriving and revelling in its habitat and the cool morning air. Golden streaks of sunlight lit the dust in the air, creating a sheen of iridescent natural beauty that hung over the sparrow's wooden kingdom. Her belly was empty; she needed supplement for her young, who one day soon, would depart from their improvised nest and fly off into the world, to start over and raise chirping little chicks of their own. The cycle of life continued, and in the downfall of the human race, was stronger than ever before.

The sparrow flitted down gently to the floor, almost lost in the long and dew-soaked grasses that carpeted the ground. She hopped around deftly, her little feet propelling her to the side of a small human, stationary, curled up in a strange material that wasn't from the forest.

Ellie cracked her eyes open and the sound of the little bird, and looked his tiny form over absently. She yawned lightly, rubbed her eyes with her hands, and looked again. The little bird was still sitting in front of her, its head tilted slightly to the left, expectantly. It chirped, and her brain took a double take, almost unbelieving of the sight before her. She froze in realisation as not to frighten the small creature, and smiled at it.

"Hey, little guy." She said affectionately, in awe that the tiny bird had gotten so close. "What're you here for?"

The bird hopped closer, chirped, and then pecked lightly at the floor. After its gesture, it stood back up, and tilted its head slightly, once again waiting expectantly.

"Oh, you want food?" She moved very slowly, and gently drew her backpack around and sat it in front of her. The bird watched quizzically, and let her continue. Ellie reached into the depths of her backpack, past a spare magazine, two full chambers for the .44 and her share of venison jerky before her hand came to rest of a small, sealed plastic bag. She drew it out, gently threading it through all the other items, and showing its contents to the little bird. It reacted, moved towards her, jumped on her backpack, and chirped again. She was amazed at how eager it was to meet her.

"Nuts." She said, wrestling open the bag of assorted nuts and seeds. "Old ones, though, but they don't go off. I was gonna save them, but... ah, what the hell."

She drew a handful of the roasted nuts out and scattered them around the down-trodden grass where her backpack had been. The sparrow chirped in thanks, hopped down off of her backpack, and eagerly began scooping up the nuts and swallowing them, in order to store them for her young.

Ellie's euphoria of nature was destroyed when a large pebble landed by the bird, and it immediately flew away in fear, leaving her behind. She watched it sadly as it rose back up into the treeline.

Buck sniggered, shot an mocking grin at Ellie, and then turned around on the rock she was sitting on, poking the embers of the fire with a stick held in her one free hand. The other was lashed to a young tree, by the rock, with a large number of plastic cable ties; there were too many to count, and all of them had been wound tight.

She sat up in her sleeping bag, and her eyes wandered wearily over to the large pine where the surly girl had been bound the previous evening. The rope that'd been used to restrain her had been cut through, the restricting knot still perfectly tied. She saw the rope was fraying where it had been severed, pinning its breakage as an escape instead of a release. Sure enough, by the pile of gear in the middle of the camp was a knife she didn't recognise.

The only other person awake was Adam. He sat across from Buck at the fire, not taking his eyes away from the youth. He had lacked sleep, obviously; he wore a blatantly displeased expression, and his eyes carried fatigue that suggested a sleepless night of running through the woods, trying to hunt Buck down. She didn't doubt that he would've succeeded; a military professional could easily chase down an underfed teen with an attitude almost as bad as the subject matter of her tattoos.

In his hands, the British Army camouflaged carbine rested. He sat tensed, unmoving and silent, ready for anything that Buck could send his way. While the Scotsman was exceedingly unimpressed, Ellie could tell that the ruffian was loving every moment. She sat their with that stupid, mocking grin, the very look that made you coil up in annoyance just at sight. Personally, she would never cross Adam, but this new girl seemed to enjoy nothing more than winding the veteran up.

Ellie groggily stood, shimmied out of her sleeping bag, and stretched. Her entire body ached from the intense tramp the previous day, and a couple of vertebrae clicked, sending a cringe across her face. She scooped her backpack off of the floor, careful to protect the camera, and slung it lazily over her shoulders. On glancing around the camp, she noticed it was just after daybreak; the sun hung low in the sky, and the pink and orange tinges of dawn had all but disappeared, giving way to the cool and crisp blue tinge of morning.

She slowly began to walk over to the fire, and glanced around at her surroundings, trying to rouse herself from the effects of deep sleep. Joel and Evelynn were still out, as usual; the two were always the later ones. Ellie had been having trouble with the pains her body was under from the stress, and often stayed awake trying to put off the aching, but she knew Adam was different. Once again, she saw he wore a faded black, tattered singlet, exposing his tattoo of respect to the lost. She wondered if he was the same as her, and whether he saw their faces swimming before him at night, almost close enough to touch, before they screamed and he's yanked out of sleep, left sitting in an eerie and cold sweat.

She bypassed Buck entirely, and sat down next to the Watcher, resting her weight on the cool and strong stone.

"Sleep well, princess?" Buck inquired, that same look staring jestingly at Ellie.

She ignored the jab, simply not acknowledging the mockery the other teen posed. She spoke instead to Adam.

"She get out last night?"

"You bet I did, sister." Buck interjected. "You're knots aren't so special when I have a knife, are they Scotty?"

Adam shot the girl an angry glare. "Yes, she did. You'll be pleased to know I employed the tackling tactic again."

Ellie chuckled, loving the thought of the huge man tackling the obnoxious youth and giving her a taste of her own medicine.

"Speaking of that tackle, how's your back? I sure got you good." The Scotsman asked Buck, now taking the role of sarcastic mockery.

Buck only grinned that same, horrid grin, and brought one of her thousand spare responses to her mouth to be viciously spat out.

"Better than hers." She gestured to Evelynn. "The men that put me on mine actually have dicks."

"I suppose I asked for that." He said, sighing in distaste. He turned his attention back to Ellie. "She got out of the ropes sometime around midnight. I was awake at the time, on the side of the lake. Heard her rustling through the bushes. She didn't get far, don't worry."

Ellie took his story as truth, staring into the lightly pulsing red embers littered throughout the seared black charcoal of the fire.

"How's Evelynn?" She asked, surprised that she actually cared about the state of the woman who'd willingly infected Joel.

"Between you and me?" He leaned in close to her. "Not good. She's coping, but there's no way she can handle much more of what we did yesterday. Besides, if we don't get her some help soon, the bone is going to be the least of her worries. If that puncture in her leg gets infected, well... it won't be long until lights-out."

"Shit, that bad?"

"Not particularly. No different to any normal injury like that."

"So we should probably avoid the ridiculously intense hikes, huh?"

"Might be an idea, yeah."

"Oh, thank god."

Adam chuckled lightly at her attempt to lighten the situation. She could see the stress in his eyes, and the lines in his face; he barely slept since Evelynn had gotten injured, he was always protecting, always vigilant, always watching. Despite his tension, she could see that he was also relieved to put an end to their inadvertent journey and sleep on a proper bed, without the constantly dragging weight and disorientation of a hiking pack.

"What's for breakfast?" Ellie asked optimistically, despite already knowing the answer.

Adam leaned backwards slightly, casually flipped up the flap of his hiking pack, rummaged around, and pulled out a plastic bag, containing a blackened, rubbery and dry amount of meat.

"Jerky with jerky and some jerky on the side." He dispassionately joked.

"Oh, yippee."

"You gonna give me any?" Buck asked. Ellie noticed her face had changed; the mocking and smug grin had been wiped away at the premise of food, to be replaced by vindictive and genuine desire. She almost thought the foul-mannered teen was going to start drooling.

Once again, Adam took his chance to wear her shoes. He drew two pieces out, handed one to Ellie, and chewed on one himself.

"Food, you see," He began patronisingly, talking through his chewing, his voice slightly muffled, "is earned by doing good things. Like being courteous, saying 'please and thankyou'... and by taking us to places we want to go."

A look of anger flashed across Buck's face.

"I haven't eaten in eight days, asshole."

"You call me an asshole, and eight will become nine."

He shook the bag sarcastically, like teasing a dog.

"Sure you don't want any?" He used Buck's grin, and extended the bag out towards the teen. When she eagerly reached out to take it, he yanked it away again, just before the fingers of her free hand had made contact.

"Fuck you." She blurted.

"Ah ah ah, you don't get something for nothing." He teased.

"What do you want, bro? I'm goddamn starving here."

Adam's business face slipped back on, his former joking interrogation method long forgotten.

"The town."

"Not this shit again... I told you, I'm not from the fucking town."

"I don't believe you." Adam replied.

"Me neither." Ellie interjected.

Buck scoffed, and turned her attention to the sixteen year old.

"Why not, tyke?"

"Your vest, idiot." She gestured to the singlet that Buck wore. "That tag, on the lapel? 2017-63-185. Your birth year, your weight, your height. It's military-grade classification so they know who you are at a glance. It's only been used in quarantine zones, like the big cities. Or towns that want to stay free of infected."

"Huh." Buck said as the mocking grin spread across her gaunt face. "Looks like the little shit has a brain after all." She glanced at Adam. "You got me, big guy. Hook, line and sinker."

Adam huffed, wary of masquerade. Ellie could tell that Buck had admitted to the defeat far too quickly for Adam to be at ease with the information. Still, he didn't question the outcome, and she listened as he spoke to her again.

"Alright, I got you. Now, you work with me, and you'll get your fill of food. Understand?"

"How much?"

He shrugged. "Take the whole damn bag if you want, I don't care." He leaned in to the fire slightly. "I need to get to that town. Today."

"Fine." Buck responded curtly. "We're not too far now. Where were you thinking of going?"

Adam reached into the pocket of his khakis and carefully removed the laminated map of the surrounding area. Still on its surface, scrawled in marker, were hundreds of locations of stashes and buildings, rivers and fresh-water wells. In the near centre of the map lay the power plant, encircled in black ink. Luckily, Adam had the sense to removed the location of the mine before he showed the map to Buck.

"I wasn't sure. I heard southwest." He gestured, and ran his finger along an imaginary line, drawing along orange circles depicting the growing heights of hills. "Although," he continued, "I don't know where. My plan was to move to a vantage point on these hills, and scout from there."

Ellie doubted very highly that the scouting trip was Adam's actual plan; he wasn't the type to come up with only one way of doing something.

"No." Buck stated bluntly.

"No?"

"Those hills are shitty to climb and cold as hell. Your girlfriend won't make the journey on a leg like hers."

"What do you suggest, then?"

Buck leaned over the dead fire and traced another line with her free hand.

"We go around the hills, then down this track in the forest. It's easy ground, and okay to give medical treatment in case your girl's leg goes bad."

"It wont." Adam interjected.

Buck paused, and looked at him, upset at the interruption.

"You gonna let me finish, or what?"

Adam sighed, and gestured in a manner for her to continue.

"So there's an old quarry here, and your town... is here."

She rested her index finger on a clearing in the forest, almost entirely overlooked on the map due to its minuscule size. The original computer writing that'd been on the map had practically faded, but there was just enough left for it to still be legible. There was a solitary black dot, and written next to it were the words 'INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX.'

"The industrial area? That seems too obvious."

The cocky teen leaned back against the large rock and yawned mockingly.

"Shit, it's hard trying to get something through your thick skull. You asked me where the town was, I told you. We good?"

Adam hesitated momentarily.

"No." He said, sliding the bag of jerky back inside of his pack. He turned to face the girl again. "We're not good until we get there."

"If you say so, asshole."

He brushed the insult off and stood, reaching into his pack again. This time the search was quicker, and after a few moments, he fished out his fading, brown leather satchel.

He gestured to Joel and Evelynn, who were still silently sleeping underneath the shade of the massive pine by the waterfront. "They had their shots?" He asked, drawing out one of the syringes of inhibitor and gently easing the head into the vein on the underside of his arm. The syringe drained as he pushed the translucent liquid into his bloodstream.

"I made Joel have his yesterday, but I don't know about Evelynn."

"Alright." He said casually, this time slipping the satchel into his khakis instead of in his pack. "She's not stupid, she'd had probably already done it when we left."

He drew a fraying rag from one of the other pockets of his bag and gently packed it in around the leather satchel, and then sealed his pocket's zipper tightly.

"C'mon. Let's wake them up and get on the move. The sooner we lose Buck, the better."

They strode together, only stopping to tread out the final puffs of the fire. On their way past the restrained Buck, she addressed Adam.

"The Eagle's Nest." She uttered, not turning her head to speak to him.

"What?" He replied, confused by her meaning. She sat up and gave him a look that spoke massively about how stupid she thought he was.

"The town, meat sack. It's called the Eagle's Nest."

"Why's that?"

The youth exaggerated the previous look further. "It's just a name, asshole, not some cryptic-ass mystery for you to solve."

Adam once again shrugged the insult off his shoulders, his moral armour seemingly impenetrable and easily deflecting Buck's relentless attacks. They strode past the youth, ignoring her, and arrived at the messy pile of gear surrounded by bedrolls, the thick and tall green grass now pressed and down-trodden. He left Ellie's side, and walked over to the slender woman wrapped in both fabric and furs, quietly kneeling and placing his huge, gloved hands lightly on her shoulders. The woman stirred, and shifted, issuing a yelp of pain that ignited hilarity in Buck. The big man helped her onto her good leg, rested her on the larger of the stones, and began helping her prep her gear.

She moved slowly over to Joel, knelt next to him, and did the same. He stirred at her touch, rolled over to face her, and smiled genuinely.

"Can't be time to wake up already, can it?"

She returned the smile. "Afraid so. C'mon, big guy. Same old same old."

"Walking?" He huffed humourously. "Great."

He managed to rouse himself, and stood groggily to tower over her, as he always did; her vanguard, her protector. Without thinking, she hugged him. He didn't question it, only silently embracing her in return. She felt phenomenal, and almost in denial about being able to hold him again after his incredibly near-death ordeal.

They separated, and remained in silence as they lazily meandered over to the snuffed-out fire, scraping sleep and dirt from their eyes. They had no time to sit down, however; before they got the chance, Adam and Evelynn had geared up, ready for the journey ahead. The only visual evidence that someone had been here were the charcoal-coated fragments of wood and the carpet-like, trampled grass.

The injured woman limped and hopped over to them, almost comically given her characteristic lack of coordination. She arrived by Joel after great effort, greeted him, made a pleasant joke, and slipped her arm over his shoulders to take the weight off of her broken bone.

Adam was busying himself preparing his survival knife; he moved quickly over to Buck, and for a split second, Ellie thought the youth had finally cracked him, and that he decided she was better off dead. The thought was banished from her mind as the knife sliced through the air beside Buck and began sawing away at the tricky and tight cable ties binding her to a nearby sapling. The knife cut through them relatively easily, downwards, the shining sharp blade parting the dirty plastic and releasing the hostage. Before the youth had time to move, the barrel of the carbine was in her face. Ellie drew the glistening .44 from beneath her jacket, just to be safe. She liked the feeling of it in her hands; its bulk, whilst inconvenient, emanated a feeling of power that matched that which it possessed. It made her feel able to defend herself.

"Alright, sunshine." He said to Buck, prodding with the barrel and causing her to stand, still rubbing the ligature markings on her wrist from her lengthy restraint. "Walk with me."

For once in a blue moon, the surly teen chose to reserve her smartass comments. She walked in silence over to where Ellie, Joel and Evelynn stood, and remained still in front of them, the big Scotsman in a shooting stance point-blank behind her.

"Here's how this is going to play out." He began. "I need to help carry that lovely lady, there. So does he. Ergo, we're not going to be scrutinising your every move. You're going to take us to this town, no questions asked, and Ellie is going to be looking after you today."

Ellie thought that she'd react in fear or hesitation, fervently questioning Adam's choice, yet the only thing her body did was nod dutifully and click back the hammer of the Magnum.

Buck scoffed. "Or what? You're saying I make a wrong move and she'll cap me like Clint Eastwood?"

Adam sighed, doubled around, lowered the carbine, and placed his hands on the girl's shoulders, speaking genuinely where his mockery had reigned before.

"No. I'm saying that if you get us there, we'll help you in any way we can. Food, medication, weapons. You could even stay with us, if you want. I don't know who you've dealt with in the past, but we're not bad people."

Adam's sudden kindness caught Buck completely off guard, and the inked-up teen simply stood in front of him, baffled, her mouth hanging slightly open in silence. After a few moments, she uttered a reply.

"Uh... okay, I guess."

The Watcher hoisted Evelynn's other flank off of the ground, and the two men stood behind Ellie.

"C'mon then, Sherpa Buck. Onwards."

The teen said nothing, and only began moving towards the treeline. Ellie followed next, the .44 raised and trained on her back. The men and Evelynn came last, grunting and yelping at every step. Ellie dreaded the length of the journey, and only hoped that it was meagre in comparison to the lengthy hike they'd endured the previous day.

After breaching the outskirts of the forest, they walked for almost two hours, although not with any particular difficulty; the terrain was allowing, and mostly flat, soft dirt, with the odd high-climbing and evenly spread tree. She breathed in deeply during the trip, soaking in the cool alpine air and thriving on the bliss of the wind on her face. Buck had remained silent for the entirety of the journey, occasionally stopping to check the direction of the sun and catch her bearings. When Adam had offered her his map, she simply declined, stating that it wasn't necessary, and walked off leaving the Scotsman with a suspicious look plastered across his face.

Shortly afterwards she addressed them again.

"We're almost there, now. Keep up."

Joel sped slightly, onto to be countered by Evelynn, blurting desperately through her pain.

"Fuck, no, not faster, please, I... I just need a rest. A... a few minutes."

Adam stopped for a moment, thought, and formulated a plan.

"I'll wait here with her." He said, finally.

"You want me to go with 'em?" Joel asked, surprised.

"Yep." Adam responded, the two carefully laying Evelynn down to sit on the forest floor. He unslung the carbine from his back and handed it to Joel. "Here."

He grasped the carbine warily in his hands, got a feeling for the weapon, and then slung it gently over his shoulder.

They were about to move off when Buck interjected.

"Hey, no!" She blurted. "You two need to come with us too."

The haste in her tone prompted suspicious looks from everyone.

"Why?" Adam asked through slitted eyes.

"I, uh... because they need to process us all together as we go in."

Ellie could almost smell the bullshit, and the others could too. Despite this, no one managed to issue rebuttal before Adam replied.

"Alright." He said, knowingly agreeing with her false story. He subtly winked at Joel, the tattooed youth remaining oblivious to their careful gesture. "We'll catch up."

Joel nodded knowingly, and walked away, gently shoving Buck by her shoulder to get the teen moving before she had a chance to object again. She loped forward, fatigued, with Ellie and Joel following. She saw he'd brought the carbine down from his shoulders, and held the splinter woodland camouflaged weapon tensely.

They walked a few minutes further forward, eventually slowing their pace in a clearing that turned out to be a large, abandoned quarry. Buck cupped her hands to her mouth and mocked a bird call to the sparrows flying in and out of the tree-line behind. Some of the sparrows replied, and a grin stretched across Buck's face while a suspicious scowl contorted Joel's. The small click of a safety being turned off was heard.

Cliff walls rose sharply in front of them for almost twenty meters, with large and gaping chunks missing where minerals had been extracted seemingly ages ago. Ruined and rusted-out yellow machinery sat around the place, strewn carelessly aside when the news of the apocalypse had reached the ears of the workers. In some places, the rock had given way, creating gigantic piles of dusty gravel and crushing any unfortunate plant life underneath.

After a few hundred meters, they stopped. Cliff walls surrounded them on all sides.

Ellie tensed, squeezing her hand tightly around the black leather grip of the gleaming Magnum.

"What's the hold-up?" Joel asked impatiently, annoyed with the girl who was simply standing still in front of them, staring at the cliff-face.

Buck slowly turned, that old mocking grin spread widely across her face.

Ellie noticed a small and irritating red light appear in her peripheral, followed by a dull pop.

Joel doubled over as a projectile hit him in the neck. She screamed, fearing he might fall, but the big man only removed the syringe, crushed it in his right hand, and sent a volley of rounds up the cliff-face. The end of a dull scream could be heard after the sound of bullets had stopped ringing around the quarry.

There was a distinct rustling to their right, and two geared men burst out of the tree-line and began hosing the quarry down with bullets. Joel leaped left, landing behind a rock, and hollered to her.

"Ellie! Get down, now! You've gotta-"

She was winded by the force at which Buck collided with her and threw her to the ground. The magnum went flying, its chrome enamelled surface glinting as it careered through the air. She yelped at first, blocking the teen's punches with her forearms. Buck mocked her as she hit her, and Ellie's anger flared. She swiftly brought her knee upwards and slammed it into the elder girl's side, crashing her kneecap into the surly teen's kidneys. Buck yelped, and fell to the left off of Ellie. Now it was her turn.

She rounded and sat on top of Buck, her anger overwhelming her alongside her fear, her fists flying backwards and forwards, furiously. The tattooed teen managed to block a few of her hits, but eventually faltered, allowing Ellie's right hand to crash into her face. Crimson jets exploded out of the girl's nose, and she kicked Ellie off, sending her rearing backwards to fall hard on the dirt and dust-covered ground. She stood quickly, her body ignoring the pain, and drew her penknife, flicking the blade out of the handle. As she turned around to charge, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Buck stood in front of her, Adam's 44. Magnum gleaming in her grip. She wore that stupid fucking smile again, her teeth stained pink by the blood that ran in rivulets from her broken nose. More men piled out of the bushes; she never saw how many, her eyes were focused on the tiny black orifice that the end of the gun. She heard gunfire from both Joel and the men, screams, and two of them fall onto the ground, lost in the high grasses around the border of the clearing. Her attention returned to Buck and that glistening revolver in her hand.

"Not on top now, are you, bitch?" She taunted. "You see, our boss wants you alive, but I'm sure he wouldn't miss one stupid little shit like you."

The hammer on the Magnum clicked backwards, and Ellie swallowed, fear rising high in her throat.

"You've pointed this fucking thing at me all day. Let's see what it does to your-"

A sudden and massive stream of red confetti burst out of Buck's right wrist, with a similar blast radius to a hand grenade in a can of crimson paint, sending her weapon flying. The teen swayed on the spot for a second, staring at her destroyed hand, her mind seemingly in denial of what'd happened, and eventually collapsed to the floor, her cocky mouth now issuing nothing for a change. Ellie turned to her left to see Joel, who'd just managed to loose a round from the carbine before he'd been restrained by two geared-up men of equal size to him, and thrown to his knees, the gun he'd carried being strewn aside to land in the dirt.

A pair of hands grabbed her, then another, and forced her to her knees as well. She barely felt the cool and clean needle sliding in to her neck, and hardly noticed the liquid being inserted until her vision began to blur around the edges.

"Fuck, not again..." She managed, before collapsing to the floor and closing her eyes.

The last image printed on her subconscious was Buck's shocked expression as the bullet had ripped through her hand, sending the Magnum careering across the quarry like a chrome-covered shooting star.


	13. Chapter 13 - The Eagle's Nest - I

The coolness of the dark, dirty concrete floor somewhat soothed her throbbing head. She gently stirred, groaned, and sat up.

She wasn't alone. To her left lay her protector, still in the void of unconsciousness. They'd obviously administered him with a significantly larger or more potent dosage of the drug they'd used to detain them both. Her memory was foggy, but she remembered seeing quite a large number of bullet-peppered corpses around him when he'd been restrained.

Her assailant's injury flew back into her mind; the dull pop of the carbine in her peripheral and the sickening, wet explosion as it had torn through Buck's hand. She thought solemnly about the fact that she'd failed to keep Adam's beautiful .44 Magnum safe, remembering it skidding across the quarry's yard, away from her sight.

Adam. Had he seen what had happened? Had he and Evelynn even been close to their betrayal? She didn't know, and she cared even less. She was overwhelmingly frustrated with everyone; she had seen in their eyes that they had clearly known about Buck's plan, but the Watcher and his so-called 'good morals' had let them blunder blindly into the ambush. Joel hadn't even objected; he'd hardly spoken for the entire journey, only ever piping up to growl something menacingly at Buck.

She opened her eyes widely, adapting to the change in brightness, and observed her surroundings. She was in a cage; that much was to be expected. She wasn't the only inmate, however. Joel lay next to her, breathing lightly, unharmed but unconscious, and uncharacteristically peaceful in his sleep. She gave him a once-over, and was dully reassured when she'd discovered that no injuries had befouled him at the hands of their captors. To her surprise, others were present too; the cell was almost crowded. Some wore faces of fear, some fatigue, some indifference. All of them looked tired, and pale, but healthy; that was almost more suspicious than if they looked hurt.

A pair of eyes looked at her from the other side of the cell, saying nothing. The eyes belonged to an aging woman, who simply looked as if she had given up. There was a man sitting next to her, sleeping on her shoulder, his white shirt stained a dried crimson. There were two dark-skinned people sitting against the wall next to her, and she almost jumped out of her skin when she realised they were there; she wasn't frightened, or hostile towards them, she just simply hadn't seen many people like them before. The last person was Ramone, almost a fortnight ago now. She wondered how he, the old man and the younger woman were getting on in Adam's field lodge.

There was one other in the cell with them; a man, tall and well built with a clean-shaven head and a weathered face sat alone in the farthest corner of the depressing room. Upon registering her glance, he looked at her, his eyes lingering on her for a moment. His face was tough and rugged, but not menacing; he wore that characteristic face of that happy uncle you always enjoyed seeing.

He glanced away when a man wearing a balaclava walked over to the cell and stood at the bars.

"You." He said with authority, gesturing to her. "Over here, now."

The man addressing her was clad in the same civilian-militia style gear the men who ambushed them had worn. She warily approached the bars, remembering her last encounter with a man wearing a balaclava, and how horrific it had turned out to be. She stood in front of him, her eyes cast down, saying nothing.

"Ellie." The man said, tones of a Scottish accent sliding through.

Upon her realisation of who it was, her anger flared up.

"You fucking asshole!" She said loudly. Some of the prisoners in her cell looked up at her expletives. The man in the corner kept his head down. "You let us walk right into the trap! You-"

"Be quiet." He said in return.

Another guard, further down the hallway, stopped and turned around, roused by the noise.

"You okay there, Sticks?" He asked, his voice echoing up the hallway.

"Fine." Adam replied from underneath the balaclava, not looking at the man, imitating an American accent almost perfectly. Ellie was surprised by his initiative, and the stupidity of the guard on duty with him. "Just trying to get some information for the boss."

The other guard huffed. "You have fun trying to get anything outta that pipsqueak." He turned, hiccuped, and walked down the hallway, away from them. She heard his footsteps grow quieter, until there was silence.

Adam raised the balaclava, confirming it was him.

"You fucking asshole." She said again, more quietly than before, although with the same poison in her tone.

"Stop it." He replied, almost angrily. "I knew what I was doing."

"The fuck are you talking about? Have us walk straight into a trap?"  
>"No." He countered. "Have you two walk into a trap so I could find out who was running the show."<p>

"Why? I thought we were good. The fuck happened to all your 'protect the innocent' bullshit?"

"You can't be good all of the time." He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about how this happened, but it was the only way. When Buck stuttered in the forest, I immediately knew things weren't right. I've been playing this game for too long."

"So what?"

"So, I figured it would be better to ghost you two after being captured than line us all up for the firing squad at the gates of the town."

"What are you talking about, the firing squad?"

"Go to the window in the back wall. Look at the guards."

She didn't reply, and swiftly moved away from him, the anger still burning and reddening her cheeks. It seemed as if people were almost lining up to betray them; first Evelynn and her bullshit science, now Adam and his crazy plots.  
>She moved past Joel, still lying asleep in the center of the floor, and made her way to the window. She reached for the top, her hands falling slightly short of the window sill.<p>

One of the dark-skinned people, a man, spoke up, obviously realising that Adam was on their side. Now, all of the conscious prisoners were listening attentively... barring the weathered man, who simply looked at the floor. She almost thought she saw a smile on his face, but scrapped the thought as simply a product of the darkness playing with her eyes.

"May I?" The dark-skinned man asked Adam, gesturing to Ellie. The Watcher nodded, not speaking.

She tensed slightly as the man placed his large, strong hands under her shoulders, and hoisted her up.

"Thanks." She said out of fearful respect.

"What do you notice?" She heard Adam holler quietly from behind them.

She observed the area outside of the barred and tiny window; it was late afternoon, nearly dusk, and the area was slowly growing darker. Large, yellow industrial-strength lights were starting to be powered on, illuminating darker areas in an artificial white light. She glanced to the left, and saw a large mass of people, slowly commuting up and down an improvised high street to their homes. Some stood and conversed with each other while some simply strode past, taking no notice of anyone. Behind the cobbled-together high street was a large and surprisingly well-kept warehouse, with two even bigger factory-type buildings behind that. Everywhere she looked stood guards in civilian-militia gear, patrolling the street, chatting, or standing guard and manning the spotlights on the ten foot-high cinder block wall to her right. She looked at them, trying to discern anything that seemed even the slightest bit unusual.

"I don't see anything. They all just look like guards."

"Look closer. Their belts."

She saw a burly guard just a few meters away from her, patrolling the wall, his belt clearly in sight. He was facing away from her, silently staring out into the dusk. After a few moments, he turned around to walk off, and Ellie found what she was looking for.

A matte-black and incredibly pristine 9mm pistol hung in the side of his belt.

Now that she had identified the change, finding it on others was easy; sure enough, every guard she observed wore the same pristine sidearm in their belt holsters.

"The pistols." She said, gesturing to the dark-skinned man to let her down.

"Yes." Adam replied as she made her way back over to him. "They're here. They're here, and Amber isn't."

Her fear returned at the premise that the town was being controlled by the red-rings. Where the red-rings were, Pyotr wasn't far behind.

"Why are they here?" She asked.

"I have no idea," He replied, "But it's a damn good job you got captured. Word on the street is that they've been gunning people at the gates down on sight."

"Why?"  
>"I can't guess. They say they were all infected. I don't buy it. It's probably because they don't want to disclose their location; if people come in the front, they can leave and tell others were this place is."<p>

"Makes sense." She admitted. "So what about Buck?"

Adam allowed himself a small chuckle. "Joel got her good. She's never going to fire a gun again. I'm pretty sure that hand had to come off; I heard she's been whining about it ever since... anyway, she'll live, although she probably doesn't deserve to. She was essentially the bait for the quarry ambush, although our experience didn't go to plan. She usually plays the 'oh, I'm so hurt, please help me' card to lure people there."

"Bet you're glad you stayed back, then."

He shrugged. "Didn't make much difference. A squad came after us anyway."

"Let me guess, you-"

"Yeah." He said, confirming their deaths.

"How's Evelynn?" She asked, again surprised by her motives to ask about the erratic scientist. Was it simply curiosity, or something more?

"She's fine." He answered. "One of the soldiers had antibiotics on him from a flesh wound he'd taken. I took her back to the chalet and dosed her up. She'll be fine until we sort out what's happened here."

Ellie still couldn't process the pure scale of the infiltration the red-rings had pulled off. They had completely assimilated into the Eagle's Nest, eliminated the guards, and captured the leader. From what she'd seen on the high street, the civilians in the town remained none the wiser.

"How did you get in?"

"Easy." He began. "Changed clothes and made my way up the old water pipes under the cover of darkness. No one's questioned me yet."

She continued pressing for information, still slightly disorientated from a second involuntary sleep.

"How did they do this? All of the guards, and Amber?"

She saw him stare thoughtfully for a moment.

"I'm honestly not sure. My guess would be a night raid; silently murder the guards, and capture Amber, but... this whole masquerade they're putting on is so unlike them. And the fact they're capturing people instead of killing them... it almost makes me more suspicious."

The dark-skinned man spoke up.

"I heard something about experiments."

"Experiments?" Adam asked, almost in shock. "This is way bigger than I thought."

"You don't think..." Ellie began, frightening thoughts forming in her head. "The power plant, that thing... Pyotr talked about them being his 'pets'."

She heard Adam swallow.

"All the more reason for me to get you two out of here, then." He said quietly.

The dark-skinned man spoke again, his curiosity roused on hearing of Adam's schemes.

"You're... you're not the Watcher, are you?"

Adam smiled. "In the flesh. Don't go spreading it around."

"I... of course not." He replied, walking towards the bars and stood next to Ellie. She saw his dark arm extend through the iron railings to Adam.

"Carlos."

The Scotsman returned the handshake warmly.

"Adam Cassel." He replied.

"So you're the one trying to get us out of here then, huh?"

Adam let go of the hand, and looked down at the floor in shame.

"Carlos, I... I'm afraid not. Not at the moment, anyway."

A look of fear and displeasure washed over Carlos' dark face.

"What do you mean? You're a freakin' legend, man."

"I know." He gripped the bars with gloved hands and leaned forward. "But I can't do this alone, not kill all of them." He glanced over to Ellie.

"How many are there?" She asked.

"Guards? Near a hundred. Maybe more. We're definitely going to need reinforcements." He turned his gaze back to Carlos. "They're very sloppy with the way they handle prisoners here; no documentation or photographs. I suppose I can get a handful of you out, but for the others? It'll have to wait. Hopefully they don't notice that three or four of you are missing."

Ellie piped up. "That other guard didn't know you weren't his buddy."

Adam chuckled slightly. "He's been drinking all day."

He addressed Carlos again. "I need you to keep them under control. I don't want everyone piling out of the cell when I open it."

Adam fumbled with the keys, and moved to unlock the cell door.

"Gotcha, I'll make sure to-"

A door was thrown open at the other end of the corridor, loudly crashing against the concrete wall and sending the noise ricocheting down the corridor. Adam flinched, and deftly slid the ring of keys back into his pocket. A voice issued out from the doorway, and footsteps gradually grew louder.

"Sticks, what's going on?" The voice was authoritative, and it spoke with conviction. The voice of a leader.

Adam slid the balaclava back down over his face, and moved away from the cage.

"Simon, I didn't expect to see you down here. What's wrong?" He asked, once again American.

"You let Aaron get drunk again. I thought I told you not to let him into the whiskey supply, he's practically drunk it all. Others need to drink, too."

Ellie couldn't help but feel a little humour at the domestic nature of the commander's visit.

"Apologies. I'll be more proactive next time."

"See to it." The man said as he arrived next to Adam, and looked into the cell. He was huge – taller than Adam by almost two inches, and built more heavily. The veins in his forehead and next stuck out almost grotesquely, and his blond crew-cut only made him more menacing. She heard the mysterious man in the corner of the cell move at the sound of the red-rings' commander being present.

"What've these people done, Sticks?" He asked almost dispassionately, upset at the thought of not having his favourite alcoholic beverage. He had a strong southern accent that was contradictory to the civilised manner with which he spoke.

"Captives." Adam replied casually. "Jackasses that walked into the trap at the quarry."

"I see." He replied, looking them over. "They're all healthy. Good. Andrey will be happy with us."

"Glad to hear you say so." Adam managed to sound genuine despite his hatred for the man.

The gargantuan commander slapped him on the back.

"Well, good work. I'm glad to see at least you're keeping a decent eye on them."

"Thank you, Simon."

"Will you be at the intel meeting this evening?"

Adam raised his head slightly at the mention of something he'd been unaware of.

"Intel meeting?"

"Yeah. We're picking up where Dubrovnik left off."

Ellie drew a sharp intake of breath as she remembered Krass' contingency.

"That survivor town in Jackson?" Adam asked, also apparently remembering.

"Yes." The huge man replied courteously. "I'm banking that we can do a much better job than Krass ever could. He was smart, but incredibly vain. He could never look past his own personal gain to get the job done properly. Did you hear? The Watcher got rid of him a fortnight ago." The big man chuckled. "Only favour he's ever done for me."

Ellie could hardly bear the irony of the situation.

"I'll be sure to pass on my regards when he comes for us." Adam said jokingly.

"He can try, but he won't get past the gates. Not with the amount of men we have!" The huge man ran a massive hand through his buzz-cut, turned, and swiftly moved back down the hallway. "I'll see you in an hour, Sticks."

The metal door swung shut again, and Adam drew the keys from his pocket.

"That's going to complicate things." He admitted.

"He didn't even question who you were." Ellie pointed out. "How long have you been this... 'Sticks' guy?"

"Three days." Adam replied, gesturing to his lapel, where the words 'Sticks' was embroidered. "They saw that and just started using it as my name. Idiots. I guess the previous Sticks wasn't much of a talker."

The key slipped into the lock, turned, and the bolt quietly clanged out of place. Carlos moved to his female companion, who was looking up to him in silence.

"Annie, I need you to stay here, okay? I'll be back for you. Don't worry."

"Okay." She timidly whispered in reply. She turned her attention to Adam. "You keep him safe, you hear?"

"Yes ma'am." Adam courteously replied.

At the premise of escape, the aging woman spoke up, her male counterpart still asleep.

"You said you want four people, right? Well, I can-"

The mysterious man at the back of the cell interjected.

"I'll go, Jennifer. Keep your son safe. I'm better with guns, anyway."

The aging woman returned to silence, and just sat there, looking at them.

The mysterious man raised the hood on his jacket and stood, his eyes and nose concealed. His chin was wide, and his jaw strong, and covered in a thick black beard, grown out of captivity rather than choice. He stood, and made his way over to Adam and Carlos. Ellie turned, and knelt next to Joel, trying to rouse him from his sleep.

"Joel? Joel? C'mon, Joel, you need to wake up, please, we've gotta-"

"It's no use." The mysterious man said. "They give adult doses and child doses of the drug they use to knock you out. The adult dose takes nearly a week to wear off. You've only been here three days."

She sat back onto her legs, defeated and upset.

"We can carry him." Carlos suggested, gesturing to the mysterious man. "You'll help me carry him, right?"

"Sure." The man replied. "What're we going to do if we get in trouble? I seem to remember you have an Intel meeting. "

Adam said nothing, only drawing a dull-black and scratched assault rifle from his back, that she assumed had been Sticks' before he met his unfortunate and unavoidable end. He moved towards Ellie, and handed it to her.

"Do you think you can handle this?" He asked.

She warily placed her hands on the metal of the weathered assault rifle.

"I... I don't know."

"You can do it, Ellie." He took it from her grasp, and showed her the shooting stance. "Fully automatic." He continued. "Lean into the gun like this, with the stock firmly in your shoulder."

"Right."

He took it back down, and handed it to her, relinquishing his grip and letting her take its weight.

"Fire in bursts."

"Bursts. Gotcha."

The two men grappled Joel and held him over their shoulders, and moved out of the cell, with Ellie closely behind them. Adam closed the metal door and locked it firmly.

"Take that door, there." He gestured down the hallway in the opposite direction that Simon left, to a rusting metal door. "That leads out into the courtyard, but it's pretty well concealed. Watch out for the guards on the walls. After about two hundred meters you should come across a small concrete building; that's the old sewerage works for the toileting facilities here. It's how I got in – the door's unlocked. Follow the pipes downwards – they go for about an hour – and you should reach an old pump-station. Meet me there."

"You're not coming with us?" She asked, slightly frightened to be left in the care of two strangers.

"Intel meeting remember? I need to find Amber." He gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Ellie, you can do this."

"Thanks, Adam." She said genuinely.

He nodded, then returned to business mode. "Alright, out you go. Hurry, and good luck."

The moved out of the door together with Ellie taking point and the two men carrying Joel closely behind. Adam saluted, and closed the metal door. There was a light clang as the bolt slid into place, sealing them outside.

The sky had darkened considerably; it was now late evening, and remaining undetected would be easy for her. The two large men carrying a third large man would be a little harder to conceal, however.

To their immediate left was the continuation of the cinder-block perimeter wall; she assumed that the prison facility was located on the outskirts for security reasons. She quickly surveyed the wall parallel to their path, and was relieved when she realised their stroke of luck; no one was patrolling the section of the wall they needed to bypass, and the spotlights were turned off, loosely hanging in their frames.

"This way." She whispered to the men.

They walked quickly and quietly through a small pile-up of building materials; there were containers of cinder and concrete, plastic pipes, metal roofing, and unused brick cylinders cut into segments, seemingly to build a chimney or pipe of some sort. They made use of these as cover, niftily making their way across the courtyard through the large brick tubes.

The final obstacle between them and the entrance to the waterworks leading out of the town frightened her somewhat; a large expanse opened up, about a hundred meters, with a clear and lit view to the centre of the courtyard where the guards convened between shifts around a fire in a barrel.

She hesitated at the edge of the pile of building materials, and addressed the men.

"We gotta get across here. There's the building Adam talked about."

"There's no way we can all get across at once." The mysterious man said. "It's way too exposed."

"We could try one at a time." Carlos suggested.

"But that leaves the problem of-"

"Joel?" Ellie asked, looking in despair at the aging man, still in the strong grip of the anaesthetic.

"Yeah." The man replied.

"He okay?" She heard herself ask him.

"He's fine." The man replied. "He's just getting old."

She ignored the comment, not ready to realise Joel's age. She drew in closer to them as not to raise her voice too loudly, and took on the role of commander, one of which she'd learned from Adam.

"Alright. I'm small, and quick. I could get over to the door, check it, and then wave you over once it's open. One at a time, yeah?"

"Yeah." Carlos said. "I'll bring the big guy over last."

"Alright." She inhaled, preparing herself. "Let's go."

She darted quickly from the brick tube, and covered the ground between the pile of industrial goods and the small, concrete building in mere seconds. It was light here, and she was exposed, but she was almost silent in her movement despite the assault rifle, and the guards around the barrel-fire didn't even notice her.

She reached the rusted, green metal door and gently lay her hand on the handle. She pushed it downwards, and despite creaking slightly, it popped gently open. She edged it ajar just enough for her to ease in, and gestured to the men back in the pile of miscellaneous construction goods.

The mysterious and unnamed man made his way over next, ghosting her almost perfectly, and to her surprise, more quietly than she'd managed; whoever this guy was, he was trained. He covered the distance in a matter of seconds, and slipped inside with Ellie.

She gestured to Carlos next. The big man slung Joel over his back, and carried him over, more slowly than she would have liked. He was just about to enter the doorway when his coat snagged on a outcropping nail in a piece of wood.

"Oh, shit!" She heard him curse quietly.

Somewhere in the distance, a dog heard the noise, picked up his head, and started barking in their direction.

"C'mon, you stupid piece of shit..." Carlos kept tugging at the wood, trying to free himself.

"C'mon!" He said more forcibly.

The result he got was not the one he was aiming for; the nail came free of his jacket, but at the price of the large stack of wet wooden planks it was holding up collapsing, making a large amount of noise. The dog barked more loudly, and Carlos quickly slipped inside with Joel still on his back. Ellie shut the door silently, and told them all to hide. The three men took refuge under a broken table, while she hid in a small cupboard.

The cupboard was cold, and pitch black. She heard the sound of the door opening, and the dog padding in, breathing heavily, its human owner's feet falling just behind it. She saw a flash of light in the crack of the cupboard's doors as a flash-light scoured the room. It searched for a few minutes until it was turned off, seemingly deducting the disturbance as nothing suspicious.

"Stupid dog." She heard. Shortly afterward, the door shut again, and she quietly eased her way out of the closet.

"All clear." She said to the men, who slowly emerged from under the ruins of the broken table. They stood gradually, and followed her as she walked. She decided it was better to take things slowly in the dark than risk being spotted using a flash-light.

The building was small, and it didn't take them long to find what they were looking for. A medium-sized metal grate led downwards into the sewerage line that Adam had discussed earlier. The pipe itself hadn't been used for over two decades, but the smell lingered; it was one of the foulest things Ellie had smelt in a long time. Regardless, she knew they had to press on and escape the Eagle's nest as quickly as possible.

The padlock that had been sealing the grate lay just to the side of it, destroyed; she'd guess by a bullet, and realised how Adam had made his way in. She gently lifted the grate, took its weight, and heaved; it came away slowly, scraping along the ground. She lowered herself down, and let herself fall in.

She landed with a splat and was ankle-deep in filth, causing her to wretch slightly. She swallowed the sickness, and gestured to the other men to descend. The mysterious man came first, landing softly behind her, and not losing his composure in the same way she had. He stood to his full height, turned, and took Joel from Carlos as he gently handed him down. To her surprise, the big man stirred, and placed his own feet on the floor.

"I can..." She heard. "I can do it."

Carlos followed him down shortly afterward.

Joel stood on his own feet. He was confused due to waking in a sewer, but quickly adapted to the situation as she explained the predicament they were in. It took him almost ten minutes to adapt fully, but eventually he was ready to move.

The mysterious man chuckled in pleasant surprise.

"Tough son of a bitch." He said. "That drug had me out for six days."

Joel guiltily rubbed his neck where the needle had gone in.

"I've... had ones like it a few times." He said.

Carlos seemed to be amazed by Joel's resilience. He questioned him as they began to walk down the pipe, digging for information. Ellie listened to their conversation from the front.

"How old are you, man?" He asked.

"Too old." Joel responded, not harshly, but with a tone that dictated he wasn't keen to discuss the subject much further. "What about you?"

"Twenty four." Carlos replied. "I have an older brother, but I haven't heard from him in a while."

Joel huffed lightly. "I got a younger brother. Only a few years younger than me though."

"So still old as hell?" Carlos countered with a polite chuckle. "I kid, man, I kid... my brother Ramone is four years older than me, but I haven't seen hide nor tail of him in at least double that."

Ellie perked up when she heard a name she recognised.

"What did you say?" She asked, turning around to face them.

Carlos was surprised by her interest in his affairs. "I, uh... my brother? His name's-"

"Ramone." She said, remembering. "You said you haven't seen him in eight years?"

"Yeah." Carlos replied, intriuged. Realisation appeared on his face. "Oh my god, you haven't...?"

"Two weeks ago." She told him, remembering Adam confronting them shortly after their escape from Krass Dubrovnik's house of murder. "Adam let him stay in his field base with two friends of his."

"He's... he's alive?"

"Alive and kicking."

"Oh, thank god..." Carlos started, sniffing. It was weird to Ellie to see such a formidable character shedding tears of joy. "He's my older brother, man, we... we always did shit together, y'know? In times like this, family is all we got left."

Joel breathed deeply and exhaled, seemingly unaffected by the awful stench of the sewer line.

"Yeah." He said solemnly. She could only assume he was thinking of Tommy. She never got a definite answer as to why they had to leave; maybe she would ask him one day, face to face, when they weren't in danger and he'd answer her truthfully.

They endured the remainder of the pipeline in silence, trying to overcome the horrific smell that assaulted them constantly. They walked for almost two hours in the darkness and the filth, until they finally emerged into a bigger atrium that didn't stink of shit as intensely. There was a two meter drop that they all traversed easily, barring Joel who grunted and nearly fell over, yet managed to maintain his composure and stand without assistance. They climbed a rusted latter with missing rungs, arriving on a crumbling and treacherous concrete walkway that led into a few surprisingly good-condition rooms. The mysterious man lingered, taking in his surroundings. The words 'PUMP STATION S33' were painted on the largest concrete wall in faded black letters, confirming their location. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing they'd escaped the terror at the Eagle's nest.

Her relief was short-lived, however; upon reaching the conclusion of the concrete catwalk, everyone froze.

A small fire burned in the room in front of them; it was the hallway, leading to the outdoors, the exterior world sealed off by a thin metal door.

A man in grey, military-camouflage stood in their path in the doorway, his machine gun raised and primed. A red circle, complete with perpendicular line was emblazoned on his breast. Carlos wore a look of fear, while Joel was tensed and primed. The mysterious man was nowhere to be seen.

"The fuck are you?" The red-ring spat, two more of his comrades appearing from corridors behind him with their weapons raised. Before she knew it, she heard a small click, and span around; they had been flanked, and another red-ring stood behind them with an assault rifle similar to the one she carried. These soldiers were obviously separate from the ones in the Eagle's Nest; they wore their uniform with pride, while the soldiers in the town upheld a complex masquerade.

"Get on your goddamn knees." The one in front of them screamed, far too loudly for the enclosed space.

"Listen man." Carlos began. "We're just trying to-"

"Get on your goddamn knees!" No one did.

"Now!" The red-ring shouted. "Get on your fucking knees now, or I'll-"

Her life slowed down a thousand times in that far too familiar feeling of adrenaline taking hold, and she stared at the soldier in slow-motion. The door behind them, leading to the surface, burst open, and Adam sprinted down the steps, a bullet from his .44 Magnum flying out of the barrel and tearing through the back of one red-ring, then the other. The man in front of them stood looking at something behind her in fear, just before a jet of crimson exploded from the back of his head, and he collapsed to the floor. The slaughter had only taken moments, but it seemed like hours to her.

The bullet had come from behind her.

She turned around to see the mysterious man, his knife jutting out of the throat of the red-ring that had flanked them, the pristine 9mm pistol held firmly in his right hand. The man's hood had fallen down, revealing that friendly face she had noticed on him earlier. He wore a grin from ear to ear.

She turned around to glance at Adam, who looked as if he had seen a ghost. The burly Scotsman stood there in disbelief, simply looking at the man standing before him.

The man chuckled. "When I heard you say 'Adam Cassel', I couldn't believe it, not with the balaclava. But... it's really you, Gunny."

Adam stood there, paralysed, his mouth slightly open.

The man smiled some more.

"What, you really don't recognise me?" He joked.

Adam moved swiftly toward the man and hugged him tightly in a brotherly embrace, completely bypassing her, Joel and Carlos.

The men patted each other on the back, and shortly afterwards pulled back to look each other in the eye again.

Adam spoke one word, confirming the identity of the man.

"Blufor."


	14. Chapter 14 - The Eagle's Nest - II

"I thought… I thought you were dead. The rooftop, and Pyotr, he…"

Blufor smiled warmly at his brother in arms; two veterans and two friends, separated by this inhumane and vicious world, finally reunited… and at that, two tempered and savage commandos who could easily turn the tide in the Eagle's nest. The red-rings had efficiently and covertly assimilated into the township, in complete silence. They had assumed and calculated every outcome, probed every possibility, and even worn disguise to maintain their masquerade. Despite these extravagant and almost overcomplicated precautions, Ellie was sure that Adam had pulled together all the reinforcements they needed.

"Technically, I was." Blufor replied, lifting the corpse of the nearest red-ring and lazily tossing it over the rusted steel railing and into the pool of sluice below. "I was about to kick the bucket when Pyotr and his lackeys just… left."

"Left?" Adam replied, baffled by the situation.

"That's what I thought; weird, right?" He brushed past her and Carlos, and sat down around the red-ring's tiny fire in the room by the exit, looked Joel over quickly, and continued his narrative as Adam took up residence opposite him.

"Anyway, the bomb we planted went up and wrecked their convoy, barring a few SUVs they had there." Slowly, everyone else in the room took their places around the small fire. She sat next to Joel, and leaned in to his strong body, the fire and his warmth slowly draining the fatigue from hers. The big man glanced down at her, smiled, and turned his head back to listen to Blufor.

"A handful of them had flanked me, and Pyotr was already on his way to finish me off. He burst in to the room, looked at me, and walked out with his men when he saw you'd escaped. He just left me there to bleed out, the detonator for the C4 still in my hand."

Ellie interrupted the recital, curious for more information.

"A bomb? Why? How damn big was their set-up?"

Adam answered her query.

"Big. They had a few eighteen-wheelers, and a few SUVs with weapons. They were shifting all their kit, and setting up shop somewhere else. The entirety of their personnel were there. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up."

"You planned on killing them all?"

"Pyotr, primarily." Adam replied. "It'd been eight long years after he'd lost his shit, after he'd-"

The big man suddenly stopped, grimaced, and clenched his fists. Blufor picked up on the hurt and gently rested his hand on the Watcher's shoulder.

"It's okay, Adam."

Adam shuddered. "No, it isn't." He opened his eyes and looked at his squad mate. "It's time I got over this."

He returned his gaze to the fire, hesitated, but eventually continued. The rest of the audience was listening attentively.

"It was eight years after he'd murdered Skye, Welsh and… and Joanna. Both of us were driven by our rage. Both of us wanted him dead."

"And both of us walked into an ambush." Blufor added.

The idea that both Blufor and Adam were enraged and skillfully wielding powerful weaponry was an idea that made goosebumps shoot up Ellie's spine faster and colder than any bullet. It was almost as if they were the embodiment of fatality; they would've been ruthless alongside their discipline and cleverness. She was almost shocked at the premise that Pyotr had managed to weasel his way out of his assured date with death.

"Anyway... we were under heavy fire from mounted heavy machine guns, and men were pushing up. Adam took the coupe we'd built together, although not willingly."

Adam huffed. "You're damn right I wasn't willing."

"I kicked him out anyway. He was too valuable to die."

Adam said nothing, only staring into the fire and rolling around in deep thought, transfixed, mulling the past over in his head. It was clear that Blufor's sacrifice had a significant toll on the Scotsman.

"What happened afterward?" This time, Joel was the inquirer.

"I slipped in and out of consciousness for a few days, in that spot. Eventually, some folks passed through and saw the wreckage. Luckily they searched it, instead of skirting around the outside. They found me, picked me up, and got me healthy again. From there I went south for a few years, staying off the radar, especially due the the fact Pyotr was snooping about."

"South?" Joel asked, intruiged. "How far?"

Blufor shrugged. "I never had a map. I think I ended up in Boston, once. The military had a big set-up there, but... I'd had enough of the Army for one lifetime. Plus, they were getting attacked constantly by that militia group from the beginning that I'd completely forgotten about... what was it again?"

"Fireflies." Joel answered, informing Blufor.

"Right." He added. "Anyway, I couldn't fathom that bunch. Heard things good and bad."

Ellie noticed Joel hugging her a little more protectively than he had before the mention of the Fireflies.

"We've had our share of run-ins with them." Joel stated. "Let's just say that they ain't all the heroic propaganda makes them out to be."

Blufor nodded courteously, and then turned his head to Adam.

"I'm surprised you weren't down there fighting them, Watcher."

"I had something else to take care of. Well... someone else."

The Scotsman met his old friend's gaze.

"How long have you known I was the Watcher?"

Blufor shrugged. "I didn't, until you appeared at the cell. I'd actually been looking for the Watcher, with Amber. We knew they were coming; their operations had been spreading out, vastly. Then, not a week later, rumors about a Scottish vigilante with military training hitting one of their main bases started entering the gates with the people he'd saved, and Amber and I started to make the connection. I couldn't believe it was you, though, not until I'd seen you for myself. Unfortunately, they tossed me in that jail the moment they found out I had military training, and my search was cut off. Funnily enough, you came to me."

The conversation came to an end, and everyone sat around the fire in silence, gazing deeply into the miniscule, flickering, golden-coated flames. The fire gave off a light and warm orange glow that flushed skin with colour and gave eyes a peculiar and iridescent sheen. Joel's fatherly embrace warmed her more than the fire ever could. Something big was coming; she could feel it. Soon, all of their mettle would be tested in the most extreme way imaginable, and she couldn't shake the overwhelming fear that it gave her. The Eagle's nest would be a bloodbath before the end, part of her knew.

Blufor spoke up again, shattering the silence like the bullet that shattered Buck's firing hand.

"You said you were looking after someone?" He asked Adam.

He chuckled. "Yeah, you could say that. She looks after me, more like."

"I look forward to meeting her. I always did get the girls; it's good to hear you got a go for once."

Adam turned his head to Blufor, a wry smile stretched across his face.

"You always were modest, Blufor."

The squadmate replied with a hand on his heart, feigning being stricken.

Adam stood, smiling, a plan formulating in his head.

"But you will, don't worry. She'll be eager to meet you. First, though..." He gestured up the pipe Ellie and the others had traversed to get here. "We need to deal with the situation up there."

"Damn right." Carlos said, standing also. He was slightly shorter than the big Scotsman. "You got a plan, man?"

"I think so." Adam stated, drawing out a piece of paper from the inside of his stolen jacket and handing it to Blufor.

"A letter from Amber, to me. I'd date it written about three weeks ago. How long has she been missing?"

Blufor remained seated, simply opening the letter and pouring over the content inside.

"Just over two." He replied, not looking up from the yellowed paper.

"Then we can assume it was the red-rings."

Blufor stood, folded the letter up carefully, like it were fragile, and handed it back to the Watcher.

"It was definitely the red-rings. And, for the record?"

Blufor reached into one of the pockets of his khakis and drew out a large and ornate pin, almost like a medal. It was an enameled red circle, made of two coiling and winding snakes, with a sword lying perpendicular to the top. He tossed it lazily onto the box he'd just been sitting on, allowing everyone a clear view. The blood-red, enameled metal shone dully in the firelight.

"They're called Martyrdom, by the civilians in these parts."

Adam scoffed.

"Pyotr always had a taste for the dramatic, didn't he?"

Blufor nodded, and replied, although changing the topic and disregarding Adam's statement. That spoke volumes to Ellie about his hatred towards the man; it may even rival Adam's, despite the Scotsman's ill attempt at comic relief.

"We need Amber before we can take this place back. She's the only one who was ever able to keep it stable. Unfortunately... I have no clue where they've taken her."

Ellie remembered something from the prison, and addressed the Watcher.

"Weren't you at an Intel meeting?"

"I was." Adam said, a look of annoyance flashing across his face. "Bloody waste of time. It practically just an argument about whiskey and guard duty. That's how I managed to get down here in time; I walked out early."

"So we don't have a lead?" She asked.

Adam glanced at the corpses of the red-rings they'd slain, and then returned his gaze to Ellie.

"I guess not."

"I'm sure there's more where they came from." Joel added, standing. Ellie stood with him, keeping her arm wrapped around his back. She still wasn't sure what to make of Blufor, and feeling Joel next to her gave her all the security she needed.

Carlos' eyes lit up at Joel's comment.

"Exactly! One of them has gotta know where they're keeping Amber."

Blufor spoke. "You're not suggesting-"

"We find ourselves some more volunteers." Joel stated, the word all too familiar with him in this new world. His tone was almost trivial; it seemed as if the scenario would be easy for him, while Ellie shuddered at the thought. She watched as the mens' faces grew darker as they realised what they had to do.

"Remember how to Water Board?" Adam muttered quitely Blufor.

Blufor replied with a small and subtle nod. He turned slightly, and addressed the rest of the group. "We'd better get moving. Dump the corpses into the sewage and see what you can dig up in here. We move in five."

Adam didn't contest Blufor's taking of the leadership role, despite a wary look from Joel; he simply nodded and began looking around. Joel eventually followed suit, and soon they were ransacking the small set-up the Martyrdom soldiers had prepared in the pump station. The search was incredibly quick and efficient with five people, and they'd uncovered more than what they'd needed very quickly. She had found some food, and a half-used pack of paracetamol, which she slipped straight into her back pocket. The two veterans and Carlos had an unfruitful search, while Joel had hit the treasure trove; he'd found locked in a closet two low-calibre sniper rifles and a handful of tranquilliser darts, of which would make their trap considerably easier to pull off.

They gathered their things, snuffed out the fire,and exited the pump station, carefully sealing the door behind them and moving up the concrete stairway to return to the cool air and purple-black of the night. It was very late, now; the night was at its darkest, and would prove perfect for luring red-rings into an ironic trap.

They walked for about half an hour in silence, before the brilliant white of the spotlights on the walls of the town came back into focus. The journey had been incredibly short compared to what they'd endured in the pipes, and Ellie almost thought they'd wound up somewhere else until she saw the pistols on the holsters of two gate-guards positioned idly in front of an improvised metal gate.

They came to a halt about four hundred meters away from the postern gate, of which was woefully undermanned; the two lackeys stood half-heartedly gazing into the night, obviously suffering from fatigue, and not overlooked by any men on the wall. Adam took the two rifles from Blufor, gave the old friend his assault rifle, and handed one of the guns to Joel, the other to her.

"Here you go, Tex." He said simply.

"Hey, what?" Carlos piped up in a loud whisper. "Why ain't I getting a gun?"

"They're firing darts, not bullets. We need neck shots." She could see Carlos wasn't swayed by Adam's counter of his objection. "She's good, trust me."

"I'm good, I... ah, screw it." The dark-skinned man went prone in the trees, sulking.

He brought Blufor over to them both, and gestured to a small clearing in the trees where a campfire had burned a while past.

"I'm going to bring them there, okay?" They all nodded. "Now, it's time for a lesson in codewords."

Ellie couldn't help herself. "Cool." She said, intrigued. Joel smiled lightly.

"What do you want us to do?" He asked.

"Easy." Adam replied. "I'll be Sticks again. I'll go and talk to them, and draw them out here. If I say the word 'contacts', that means that it's safe to engage the targets. Neck shots with the darts, and they'll go down."

"What else?" Joel asked again.

"If I say 'tangos', Blufor takes them down, and we run. Clear?"

"Clear." Ellie blurted, not realising how daft her saying the word sounded until it'd come out of her mouth.

Adam seemed not to notice, and pulled down his balaclava.

"Alright. Ready?"

"Born ready." She heard Blufor mutter. "Go get 'em, Gunny."

Adam pressed a button on the side of the radio attached to his lapel, and spoke clearly, in that same feigned yet practically perfect American accent.

"Martyr Base, Martyr Base, over."

After a few seconds, the radio fizzled into life. She worried about the noise travelling to the guards, but the voice that issued from the radio was significantly quieter than she'd expected; she had to listen closely to discern the words.

"_Martyr Base, go ahead."_

"Sticks, back from scouting."

"_Hey, Sticks. Find anything?"_

"Shit all, as usual. Tell the two sleepyheads on the east gate that I'm coming in. Don't really want to be turned into a pin-cushion."

"_I'll let them know, over."_

"Thanks. Out."

The radio died again. She watched attentively from behind the cover of young trees, observing the two fatigued guards at the gate to the town. She saw one of them stir, listen, and then talk into his radio. Their gaze turned over to the forest, and she pressed herself low against the floor, unmoving, as to not draw attention to herself. Blufor, Joel, and Carlos were all prone, looking inward to the clearing. Adam donned his balaclava sprinted out of the forest wall, over to the gate. His haste immediately set the two guards on edge. She watched them conversing; he was acting, pretending that he'd been jumped. The trap was being set as they spoke, literally. She picked up the odd word from the conversation, and rotated around to face the clearing as they moved back over, the guards' two assault rifles at the ready. Adam followed behind, puffing, still playing his role. Luckily for them, neither of the guards had flashlights. Batteries proved to be in incredibly short supply nowadays.

She could hear Adam conversing with the guards as they drew closer.

"... just around this corner, the bastards were. They jumped me and took my fucking gun, I only just got that goddamn thing fixed."

"You know how it is, Sticks." The first guard replied.

"Unlucky is what it is." The second guard replied, lifting his gun. "Look at this beauty! SCAR-H, from before the shit went south! Got it off some stupid bastards we shot for their food a week or so ago. The guy tried to negotiate with me, can you fucking believe it?"

Adam sighed. "No, I can't believe it..." He said sarcastically as they reached the centre of the clearing. "To think, anyone would talk to you? Hilarious."

"Hey, what's that supposed to-"

"Leave it, man." The first guard said. "He's just fucking with you."

"Fucking with you?" Adam countered. "After some guy jumped me? What, you think I'm stupid? They could have their sights trained on you right now."

Ellie picked up on Adam's inference, and trained the crosshair of the scope on the thick flesh of the second guard's neck.

"There ain't no one here, Sticks." The second guard stated. "You sure there are guys after you?"

"Course I am."

"Maybe you need glasses."

Adam turned to them, and chuckled.

"No, I think I'd prefer contacts." He said.

The codeword, hidden neatly in a pun. She admired Adam's subtlety.

A hiss emanated from her right, and the first guard was struck in the neck and went down. She'd hesitated long enough for the second guard to realise what'd happened. She panicked and fired, but miscalculated, and the dart hit the man's collar and bounced off, trivially deflected by the thick material. He'd felt the force of the impact, however.

"Shit!" She blurted.

"What the fuck?" The guard said, turning and training his assault rifle right on her, where he'd heard the noise. Her heart rose high in her throat as they made eye contact.

The man didn't even have time to click his safety off before Adam's collosal fist crashed into the side of his neck, and he went sprawling to the floor, a disgusting crackling sound coming out of his mouth.

"Sticks." He managed between ragged gasps, his voice hoarse. "What the fu-"

Adam's boot met the man's face, and he went limp. She thought Adam had killed the man, until she heard his ragged inhalation through his now broken nose.

Adam peeled the balaclava off of his face, and the masquerade of Sticks vanished immediately.

"Let's go." He uttered, scooping the guard he'd incapacitated up and slinging him over his shoulders, while Blufor handed Carlos the automatic rifle and picked the other up, doing the same.

They left the clearing having left no sign they'd ever been there; Ellie was impressed by the efficiency of Adam and Blufor's trap, but she also burned with shame at the fact she'd missed her shot. Despite her blatant mistake, no one had flagged her for it, not even Adam. She especially hoped that Joel hadn't noticed her slip-up, as blatant as it had been.

The weight of the 22. Rifle in her hands began to register, and she felt a wave of fatigue washing over her body as they began to slink away from the perimeter of the Eagle's nest, slowly, trekking their way back to the pump station. She didn't think it were safe for them to return there after their encounter with the border patrol, but as vaguely familiar landmarks passed her by she had no doubt they were heading back to the tiny station at the end of the stinking, foul escape route.

Her legs pained her, and there was a horrible, uncomfortable knit in the lower-left reaches of her back, presumably a result of her position when she'd been unconscious. It tweaked agonisingly every time she bent the wrong way, causing her to gasp, and for Joel to turn around every now and again, wearing a look of concern.

Eventually, he moved backwards and strode strongly and surely next to her as they made progress. The two younger men carried their captives by the arms with Carlos accompanying them, dragging the guards' geared-up and limp bodies through the soft debris littering the floor of the small wood. The man who had been knocked out more forcibly stirred halfway through the journey, only to be met with another blow to the head. This one was executed with more precision and less power, but yielded the same incapacitating effects. Blufor struck the man on his right temple, and all the tension in his body dissipated almost immediately, allowing Adam to continue heaving him through the dirt. Ellie mulled briefly on the size of the headache the man would bear when he awakened, but then quickly realised that a migraine would be the least of his concerns.

With the time they took walking, she took the chance to see what'd happened to Joel; the lines in his face grew ever deeper, and his eyes darker as his hair was gradually being taken over by swathes of grey. Despite his resilience and his almost unstoppable strength, she could now see what Carlos had discussed earlier. Despite easily keeping pace with the other three men his younger, his breathing was heavier, and more ragged. The world they lived in was incredulous in the regard of mercy; how much longer would it be until he needed to stop living like a vagabond? How much longer would it be until he wasn't around to look after her any more?

Before she realised what'd happened, she'd stopped walking. Adam, Blufor and Carlos hadn't noticed, and continued walking away from her. Joel stood a few meters in front of her, turning to face her. Beads of glistening sweat were visible cascading down the structuring of his face.

"What's the hold-up?" He asked.

"I... I just." She began, stuttering over her words. Should she ask him now what his plan was as he grew older? Should she ask him to run away from this with her, and go back to Tommy's, where he could grow old in relative peace?

"I just needed to think about what they're gonna do to those guards." What actually came out of her mouth wasn't what she wanted; she could see the lines of suspicion in Joel's expression, the sign that he thought something more was going on with her.

"You don't need to be seeing nothing like that, kiddo." He sighed, and continued. "That isn't all, huh?"

Should she ask?

"Joel..." She began, her heart rising high in her throat. "What are we doing here?"

"We're goin' to that pump station, remember?"

"No." She replied, more forcefully than she would've liked. She saw him flinch slightly, taken aback by her tone. "What are we_ doing _here?"

Joel practically read her mind.

He exhaled. "You mean about leaving Tommy's."

Her anger, desperation, tension and despair all welled up inside of her and exploded out, cascading in a tidal wave of raw emotion.

"You're damn right I mean about leaving Tommy's! I was in school, you had a job, we had food and shelter, friends... and what? You decide we're better off slinking about with some fucking strangers we know nothing about, eating shitty food we find in old cabinets and picking a fight with some goddamn syndicate? That your idea of a good life, Joel?"

He didn't reply to her outburst, and only stood there, brooding. That enraged her more than any insulting reply could've.

"Well, Joel? A good fucking life, huh?"

"Stop it." He replied bluntly, his voice quiet and low. A sense of intimidation crept up her spine, but she pushed it down, determined to get to his core.

"Stop what?" She walked right up to him. "This shit is dangerous, Joel. How many times have we almost died up here? We're not what we were once. I don't know if I can survive it, and you know what?"

"What?" He inquired with the same menacing tone.

"I'm not even sure you could survive it. Not any more."

Her meaning struck home, she saw it in the change of his expression.

"The hell are you saying?"

"I'm saying it was fucking stupid of us to leave. I'm too young, and you're too-"

"Don't."

"Too damn old!" Tears had stained pearlescent lines into her cheeks that shone dully in the light of the moon.

She saw him forcibly swallow his anger. He leaned inwards slightly, intimidating her. She thought for a horrific moment that she had pushed him too far; she wanted to tell him to leave with her, not make him leave on his own.

"Too damn old, huh?" He asked. "Too damn old to get you out of Boston? Too damn old to get you outta that hospital? Too damn old to-"

She interrupted, her voice cracking slightly as the words emerged.

"To tell me why we really left Tommy's, and drop this 'we needed to move on' bullshit!"

He froze for a moment, and then ascended back to his full height.

"I ain't talking about that," he began, his voice quivering surprisingly noticeably. "I... I can't."

"Why not?"

"Ellie... I can't."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because it ain't for you to hear!" He shouted at her. She saw a silhouette in the background stand up, and look at them. The outline was a familiar shape.

"Everything okay back there?" Adam hollered.

Joel moved closer to her.

"It ain't for you to hear." He said again, this time under his breath. "Ever."

With that, he turned and left her standing there, waving Adam off with a gesture instead of a vocal reply, traipsing away tensely. She brushed the tears from her eyes and followed, watching him push past the Scotsman without a word, leaving Adam looking quizzically in his wake.

"What's up with him?" He asked when she reached where he was standing.

"Nothing." She lied. "He's fine."

Adam wore the same look of suspicion. Lying to smart people wasn't the easiest of gambits. Still, he accepted her response, and placed his hand on her back, ushering her forward as he began to stride, making up the ground between him and the captives, now being carried by Carlos and Blufor.

"We're almost back." He began. "Now the real fun begins."

"Do you think we'll get anything out of them?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. They're perimeter guards, so they might have an idea of troop placements in the area."

"Who says Amber is in the area?"

"No one." Adam admitted. "Although, it would be incredibly inefficient in these times to keep a prisoner under guard a long distance away from a base of operations. She's nearby; I'm sure of it."

She pondered for a moment on Adam's methods of obtaining the aforementioned information.

"They're not just going to tell you where she is."

He sighed.

"I know. It's going to take more than that."

"How much more? That 'water-boarding' thing you mentioned?"

"You heard that? Unfortunately, yes, if they're unwilling to answer my questions. If that's the case, then... I don't want you in there. It's not exactly pleasant."

"No." She interjected. "I can handle it."

"Ellie-"

"I can handle it."

He nodded courteously. "Only if you're sure."

She walked in silence next to Adam, the assault rifle draped lazily over his muscular back. Gazing forward through the darkness were the others, carrying the captive red-rings; Joel never looked back, only ploughing ahead in front of Carlos and Blufor, his walk tense and perturbed. After what seemed like an age, the crisp yet dim light of the moon highlighted the stairwell that led them down into the pump station. The rusted, red and orange speckled door screeched open, and the rag-tag group piled inside, dumped their weapons, and began preparing for the business ahead.

The fire had all but burned out; Carlos busied himself relighting it while Joel took point, leading the two other men and their prisoners through the small, dilapidated and damp offices and assessing rooms until they came across a food storage pantry sealed by a large, noise-cancelling metal door, all of its contents long having been scavenged by the Eagle's Nest. The walls were pristine stainless steel, that had obviously been kept clean by the border guards; despite it being for a pump-station, the sewerage works had been manned judging by the bunks they passed on their short walk, and the presence of this pantry alluded to night shifts being a necessity before the apocalypse.

The room was small, but not constricting; there was enough room for three small metal chairs, and a stainless steel flat-topped trolley that Joel had deftly wheeled into the centre of the room. They had standing room, and enough space to pace up and down.

Initially, the two captives were bound to each of the metal chairs with the handcuffs they carried on their persons as standard issue. Adam took the single seat opposite them, with Blufor standing behind him. Joel moved over to a solitary corner in the room and stood there, scowling at no one in particular.

Blufor pulled a small syringe out of his ammo pouch, different to the dart she had loaded into her rifle; this one was blue, where hers had been red. Some chemistry jargon that she didn't understand was sprawled messily up the side of the tube.

"Ready to wake him up?" Blufor asked Adam.

"Only this one." He said, leaning forward to the smaller of the two men, the one that Joel had taken down. "Unfortunately, there isn't a chemical counter for boot to the face."

"Chemical counter?" She asked.

Blufor turned to address her.

"Yeah. The stuff they use is basically the same as general anaesthetic."

"General what?"

He smiled lightly. "Right, my bad. In hospitals before the Infection, people used to get operations to fix problems they had. Sometimes they were knocked out so they went to sleep and had no idea the operation was even happening until it was over. This stuff can wear off, but it takes a long time for the body to get rid of it. If you want it done quickly, you use a chemical that counters the effects."

"She nodded politely, satisfied with her answer. Adam was about to press the point of the syringe into the man's wrist when he hesitated, and turned to her.

"Are you sure you want to be in here?"

"Yes." She replied.

"Last chance."

"I'm sure."

He chose not to acknowledge her, simply turning and administering the counter to the guard who'd sustained the least injury. Sure enough, only a few minutes after the counter had been absorbed into the man's bloodstream, he began stirring.

"Wha... I don't, what's going..." The man uttered.

Blufor gently slapped the man on the cheek, rousing him to his senses.

"Wake up, sunshine." He said sarcastically.

The man slowly regained his senses, opened his eyes, and observed both Adam and Blufor. Eventually he realised his friend was sitting restrained next to him with a horrendously badly broken nose, and almost became hysterical.

"Wha, I don't... what the fuck?" He turned his eyes on Adam. "Sticks, Sticks is that you? What the hell is going on?"

Adam leaned in slightly to address the man. He spoke normally, his gentle Scottish accent taking centre stage.

"I hate to break it to you, but 'Sticks' isn't here."

Realisation hit the man immediately. His frightened expression reflected off the gleaming walls and floor, the situation seeming all too eerily familiar to Adam, Blufor and Joel.

"But... the fuck, man? Why would you do this to us?"

"I'm going to make this simple for you." Adam stated. "I'm a pretty nice guy, yeah? I like to talk to people, to find out what they're like... nice and peacefully."

"Peacefully..." The guard uttered in disbelief.

"My friends, here," He gestured to Adam and Blufor, "aren't as forgiving, are you boys?"

Blufor shook his head, and Joel cut viciously into the man with his eyes as he met his gaze.

"Therefore, I get to my main point. That town you're in isn't yours, is it?"

The man didn't respond, only keeping his mouth clenched shut and quivering in his seat.

"My friend." Adam began again. "I don't think you understand the severity of this situation."

"I... I ain't telling you anything, bro."

Adam briefly glanced downward, only to raise his head sharply and don a menacing smile as he played his high hand.

"Would you tell the Watcher?"

The man broke upon realising who he was conversing with.

"No, fuck no, it ain't our town!"

Adam nodded as the man stuttered and quivered nervously.

"Perhaps you'd like to tell me whose town it is?"

"I... I don't know!"

"I think you do."

"I don't! Some chick, Jade, Onyx or some shit?"

"Amber."

"That's it, yeah!" He sobbed gently. "Fuck, the fucking Watcher..."

Adam gently tapped the man under the chin, bringing his gaze back up.

"Concentrate, please." He continued. "So, we've established that it's Amber who owns the town. You took her, you and your syndicate, didn't you?"

"Yes..." The man sobbed. "Yes, yes we did..."

"Where?" Adam asked.

The word hit the man like a tonne of concrete. He stared at Adam in horror, his face completely white.

"I... I can't tell you. Simon, Simon will fucking kill me, I..."

"We'll kill you, too." Blufor added, only to be silenced at a gesture from Adam.

"You need to tell me where." Adam said, ignoring the comment.

"I can't, God... fuck, I can't..."

"Now."

"I can't tell you, man, please, just..."

"Last chance."

"I... I can't."

Adam relented his attempts, and turned to Blufor.

"Plan B." He said. His squadmate left the room, sealing the door behind him, and Joel moved over to help Adam heave the restrained man upwards, laying him on his back on top of the trolley, still bound to the thin metal chair. The man whimpered like a lost puppy the entire time, his noises of fear only increasing in intensity when Blufor re-entered the room, two plastic buckets filled to the brim with water in each of his hands, and a large bathroom towel slung over his right shoulder.

As Blufor approached the man, Adam moved away, gently taking her by the shoulder and moving her back toward the large metal door, away from the interrogation. She was quickly ushered by the Scotsman, and didn't resist his guidance, knowing her efforts would be futile. They reached the door and began opening it as the towel went over the man's head, and Joel raised one of the buckets.

"No, no! God, please... no, don't... I can't.. I can't tell you!" The man said desperately in between whimpers.

The sounds of pouring water and a tortured gurgling were cut off by the door as its plastic seals found their place, shutting firmly into the wall. The Scotsman began to lead her away from the room where she knew full well horrors would unfold, trying to keep as much of her innocence intact as possible. Part of her wanted to kick and protest, but the part that displayed itself was silently grateful for his consideration. They walked in silence, away from the interrogation.


	15. Chapter 15 - The Eagle's Nest - III

After almost two incredibly long hours, the muffled screaming echoing up the concrete hallways subsided, and was consumed by an eerie and all too empty silence. She sat there, gazing into the crackling fire, the heat gently pulsing on her face and drawing out the pains and aches that dominated her body. The gentle, swirling yellow and orange hues glistened and gleamed gently off the immaculately polished metal of the heavy revolver sitting comfortably in her gloved hands. They were almost dwarfed by the pommel; the coloured man across the fire knew as much, and stared longingly at the pristine handgun.

She sat there, transfixed, her mind empty as a whiteboard before a lecture. All the knowledge and processes she would need to handle during the day were currently absent, leaving her with a peculiar and brilliant-white anomaly where no thought or idea spawned. This was what fatigue truly felt like.

She had been told to sleep, and had tried; unfortunately, the chronic and haunting echoes of the interrogation seeped out of the cracks in the steel door and reverberated around the artificial rooms of the plant, pinning her to consciousness, unable to break away into sleep. When Blufor had come out to refill his buckets the third time, she gave up trying to kid herself and meandered lazily back to the fire, poking and prodding it and tossing the odd piece of kindling on it until it flickered up again to warm her gently with its glow. Upon seeing her take point, Carlos had also given up the fight and sat silently opposite her until the screams petered out.

Somewhere behind her, a door opened, although she couldn't discern where. The small noise was accompanied by heavy breathing and low mumbling, although most noticeably, the footfall of combat boots on cold concrete. She listened absently for their approach, but realised the worst when she heard muffled heaving and two muffled, corpse-like splashes that could only mean one thing. The Watcher had gone in there after he'd removed her… was he responsible for this?

She tried to convince herself that their deaths didn't matter, that they were just pawns in the great game that Adam was playing, but ever since they'd left Evelynn in the woodland chalet, the methods the Watcher and his colleagues employed had only seemed to grow increasingly visceral with each passing hour. She hadn't realised what a polar effect the scientist had on the veteran.

She only hoped that Amber was in a retrievable situation.

Joel sat next to her, with Blufor and Adam taking residence on the concrete floor surrounding the fire. Her guardian smiled at her dully, his wrinkled faced almost as fatigued as hers, and then gazed into the fire. No one spoke.

"Did you get what you wanted?" She asked, shattering the silence. Nobody reacted to her inquiry, and she was on the verge of asking more forcefully when Adam picked himself up, and in one swift movement, placed a small and black rectangular device on the floor in front of him. He knelt, and slipped a dilapidated tape into the recorder. Upon gently pushing a small button, a whirring emanated from the device, followed by a sickening gurgling, the quality lessened by the microphone in the recorder. They'd documented the interrogation.

"_Day 349, 2/5/36." _A voice remarkably similar to Adam's spoke between gurgles. "_Interrogation of two Martydom soldiers on whereabouts of Amber White. File will be documented for further use at the Watcher's discretion."_

"_Stop, fuck, stop, please, I-" _The gurgling continued.

"_Shut it." _A voice akin to Joel's spoke. "_Speak when you're spoken to."_

"_The fuck do you want, man?" _More gurgling.

A large crisp slap was heard.

"_Easy." _Blufor spoke. "_You don't want to talk to he other guy? That's just fine. Needless to say, you'll spill for us."_

A pause.

"_Where are you keeping her?"_

"_I told you, I can't say! Simon would rip me apart, that fucker is crazy. More than Dubrovnik. More than Pyotr! Do you even got a clue who you're fucking with?"_

"_We'll solve that problem later." _Blufor continued. "_For now, tell us where Amber is being kept."_

"_I can't! He'll fucking-"_

"_Kill you?" _Joel intervened. A knife was heard sliding out of its sheath.

"_You're not in the best of spots to be complaining about dying, son." _Joel said again.

"_No!" _The man screamed. "_I can't! I can't, for fuck's sake, please…"_

Rushing water was heard, hand in hand with the muffled choking that accompanied it.

Adam leaned down and pressed another button, speeding the interrogation forward. They tuned in again about an hour further through, although the context of the conversation was entirely the same. The complexity, however, had drastically decreased.

The gurgling, again.

"_Where's Amber?" _Blufor screamed.

"_I'm not telling you, you fuck!"_

The water rushed over the towel, and the victim choked and spluttered furiously. The voice was a different one to the guard she'd seen being questioned as she left; a dull whimpering could be heard in the background, presumably from him.

"_Where's Amber?" _Blufor bellowed again.

"_Fuck you!"_

This one was tougher, she noted.

The last of the water in the bucket was heard falling on the man's face, and onto the floor.

"_Where's Amber?" _A third time.

The man started laughing, almost insanely.

"_What? You think I ain't been interrogated before? You're getting nothing out of me, pig shit. Just keep pouring; the water's fine."_

Blufor started another bucket. Ellie winced slightly at the second guard's resistance to the torture; Carlos had told her that the technique had been used to simulate the feeling of drowning, and completely destroy the victim's mental fortitude without actually harming them. She imagined it to be a horrendous experience; what the hell had that guard done to treat this like a walk in the park?

"_Where's Amber?" _Blufor asked, his voice low, and his tone more pertinent than before.

"_When Simon gets to you," _The guard began, spitting out remaining water in his mouth, "_He ain't just gonna kill you. He's gonna rip you limb from limb, he's gonna roast you up and serve you to Clickers! He's gonna fucking destroy you, and there ain't anything you can-"_

The minuscule speakers on the tape recorder maxed out from a noise that could only have been a gunshot.

_ "What the fuck? No!"_The first guard shouted, his voice pathetic and quivering with fear.

There was a noticeable and eerie pause.

"_Adam?" _She heard Joel ask quietly. Blufor was silent.

She was taken aback by what she'd just heard. She cautiously raised her eyes to the Scotsman, fear rising in her throat. He didn't meet her gaze, and only stared into the swirling flames on the floor in front of him. There was an unusual expression on his face… was it a smile?

The recording continued.

"_Bring him up here." _The Watcher demanded, his voice pure poison, and possibly the most menacing thing she'd heard in a long time.

Small consternation echoed out of the speaker as the first guard was thrown into the tiny metal chair, his friend's corpse being strewn lazily on the floor. Handcuffs clicked, and the interrogation proceeded.

"_I'm sick of playing games." _Adam spoke, stressing the consonants on each word. "_You tell me where Amber is being held. Now."_

"_The old shipyards, down off 44! It's about a hundred miles West, but it's dangerous as fuck, there's-"_

"_Freelance Mercenaries operating in that area, right?" _Blufor interjected.

"_Yeah!" _The guard started again. "_They have a base somewhere around there, we couldn't find it, but… fuck, there, that's what you wanted!"_

"_Thank you."_Adam said sarcastically.

"_Yeah, whatever, now just please let me-"_

More choking. Was it the water boarding again?

The metal chair fell backwards with an immensely loud crash, and the guard exhaled for the last time.

Footsteps were heard moving toward the recording device.

"_Interrogation completed." _Adam spoke. "_Location of Amber roughly 100 miles West of Eagle's Nest. Confirmed Martyrdom activity in that area, as well as possible intervention by freelance mercenaries."_

The recording stopped, and the little tape player froze, now sitting lifelessly next to its owner.

Adam had killed them both, in cold blood.

"So where're we headed?" Joel asked, interrupting her fear-ridden thoughts.

"West, like the guy said." Blufor replied.

"What's waiting for us out there?" Carlos contributed.

"I don't know." Adam contributed. "Although we'd be stupid to think it'd be safe."

"He talked about a lot of activity in that area, from Martyrdom." Blufor told Joel.

It was her turn to inquire.

"What kind of activity?"

Blufor shrugged. "The usual. Hunting. Looting. Raping. What the red-rings do best."

"And freelance mercenaries." Adam muttered. "That's going to be a whole other dynamic."

"I agree." Blufor leaned forward. "We need to be careful here, Adam. The guy sounded as if it were World War Three over there. If these mercs get in our way-"

"Why not work with them?" Ellie piped up, causing the four men around the fire to shoot her curious glances in equal succession.

"How do you mean?" Adam inquired, intrigued. She smiled, but refused to meet his gaze. He didn't seem to notice.

"If they hate the red-rings too," she began, looking at the floor, "then they might work with us to fuck up their operations." She looked up to Blufor, looking past the Watcher.

"Might be they even help us save Amber."

The squad-mate mulled the situation for a moment.

"I like it." He said, smiling. "Adam?"

"I agree." Adam replied. "But, on one condition."

"And that is?"

"We don't disrupt their operations. We kill them." He looked at Ellie. "All of them."

She glanced down sharply in fear of her gaze. She was frightened deeply by the expression floating around in those yellow-stained emerald eyes.

"Adam…" Blufor began.

"No." He interjected. "All of them. They don't deserve to live."

Joel spoke up. "I'm thinkin' the same." His comment brought a wry smile from the Watcher.

Blufor dodged the comment and changed the subject.

"There's a city in the vicinity of the area the guard disclosed; without a doubt, that'll be the place I guarantee we'll find both red-rings and mercs. But, there'll also be-"

"Infected." Carlos muttered, his chestnut-brown eyes fixed on the fire.

"Yes. And a lot of them."

They sat in silence for a moment, none of them making eye contact with anybody else. She felt enraged and fearful of Adam, and the tension between them was almost palpable. She hoped he was ignorant to its existence; she was in no mind to see him tip over the edge, like the two unfortunate guards had witnessed moments before their deaths.

"We still got the problem of transport." Joel spoke. "A hundred miles ain't exactly a morning stroll."

"That's true." Blufor admitted. "Any thoughts, Adam?"

"We'll need something big, especially if we're going up against resistance."

He turned to his squadmate.

"You were on the inside for a lot longer than I was. What kind of armament does the Eagle's Nest have?"

Blufor's eyes lit up at the premonition Adam was alluding to.

"A few jeeps, and humvees. I was helping Amber was fix up an old Little Bird before the red-rings' capture, but it's nowhere near flyable." He thought for another moment. "There's an LAV hidden in compound. We stowed it in the basement of one of the warehouses. There may be a chance that they haven't found it."

Adam reacted with surprise.

"What, functioning?"

"Yeah." Blufor responded. "It was pretty beaten up when we found it, but we repped it up pretty good."

"Weaponry?"

"Two M240B mounted LMGs. Front and rear."

"No cannon?"

"No, unfortunately. It'd rusted out long before we found the vehicle."

"That's a shame. Could've used a 20mm AP gun."

Blufor chuckled.

"True enough."

"So, we're going for this LAV?" Joel inquired, his business face sliding on, and the calm, quiet Joel taking a backseat, letting the hardened survivor take the reins.

"It's a good plan, I'll admit." Blufor started. "Provided that we can get to the LAV without detection. Once were in control, there's not a hell of a lot they can do, so long as we bug out nice and quickly."

"Then, West?"

"Then West."

"All right." The Scotsman projected, standing back up to his maximum height, of which was now more intimidating than comforting. "What are we waiting for? Let's go."

"Now?" Carlos asked, almost stuttering at the premise. "You can't expect us to go back now, man!"

Adam stopped in his tracks, and a cold look of displeasure flashed across his face.

"I wasn't asking." He growled menacingly toward the dark man.

"It ain't dark, it's early morning." Joel added, bolstering Carlos' argument. "We sure as hell won't be sneaking in there."

The Watcher shrugged.

"We don't need to sneak."

"Come again?" Joel inquired.

He scooped some kindling up from the side of the fire.

"Sticks, remember?"

Joel sighed, and she remembered the two guards they'd spent the evening with, and how easily they'd bought Adam's ruse.

Carlos caught on to Adam's meaning and immediately objected.

"So, what?" He began, irritation in his tone. "You're gonna take us in as prisoners-"

"Yes." Adam idly interrupted.

"Without asking us first-"

"Yes." He interrupted again.

Carlos sat there in a daze, pausing for a moment.

"We only got outta there yesterday." He spoke, a lot more quietly than he had before. "They almost killed us. The fuck, man?"

"You got a better idea?" Blufor piped up, taking his old friend's side in the argument.

"I..." Carlos began. "I guess not."

"Well, then." The Scotsman stood and swung open the rusted metal fire-escape that led into the sprawling natural habitat above. The orifice opened, and bright, yellow-white sunlight careered down the concrete stairway and into the room, its brightness dwarfing that which the small fire produced.

Carlos sighed, shot Ellie a look that said 'here we go again', and made his way out of the door. Blufor followed suit, and then Joel left her side, sliding out of the doorway and into the morning sun.

She felt the sensation of her legs lifting her, despite her not remembering to tell them to stand. She moved slowly past the fire, but found herself halted adjacent to the Watcher.

He looked at her quizzically for a moment.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked politely, a warm smile stretching his face.

She met his gaze, and felt a small droplet of water leave her eye and cascade down her cheek. His expression immediately changed from courteous happiness to confused concern.

"You..." She began, stumbling over the words as she tried to form them. "You killed them."

His face tightened, now. "Ellie," He began, "you have to understand. These men don't deserve to live, the things they've done, they've-"

He went to place his hand on her shoulder, but she met his arm with her fist, and threw it away. Her hand throbbed afterwards, and she debated whether the big man had even felt her blow.

"Don't touch me!" She shouted, to see him rear backwards slightly. "Don't fucking touch me. You talk about integrity and mercy, and you shot them! You just fucking shot them."

"They were red rings."

"They were people!"

"Horrible people. Rapists and murderers!"

"No, Adam." She said, preparing her coup de grace. "You're the murderer."

Had she done too much? Been to harsh? Anger spread rapidly through the Scotsman's features, contorting his face brutally.

She managed to pluck up the courage to continue. "What would Evelynn think?"

He leaned in to her, close enough so that she could feel the warmth of his heavy breathing on her face. His glass-green eyes burned with anger, their yellow flecks visible, accusing her.

"Evelynn isn't here." His tone spoke volumes about his anger. That all too familiar sinking feeling crept up her stomach and into her chest.

He turned swiftly, placed the balaclava over his head and exited the plant, slamming the metal door forcibly as he left. He pulled it shut so hard that the hinges screamed, and for a moment, she thought they were going to rip themselves out of the wall entirely and come flying at her, as punishment for what she had just said to him. After a moments hesitation, she sighed, scooped the gleaming .44 Magnum off of the bench where she'd been seated, and followed him out of the door. By the time she'd reached the top of the stairwell, he had stormed ahead, past Blufor and Carlos, his assault rifle slung over his back and swaying from side to side as he strode away.

Joel was waiting for her, leaning on an old, rusted handrail.

"You okay?" He asked. She wondered how much of their argument he had overheard.

"Fine." She lied. "I'm fine, Joel."

He accepted her response, although it was obvious he didn't believe her. She walked past him, not desiring to continue the conversation. To her surprise, he followed her and matched her rapid pace.

"I know when something ain't right, kiddo. What's bothering you?"

She paused for a moment. Should she tell him?

No. If it came down to Joel against Adam... she wasn't sure if any of them would make it out alive.

"What I said to you the other day..." She lied again. "It was wrong of me. I shouldn't ever have said that to you, I... I know how much you've sacrificed to keep me safe."

He smiled warmly at her.

"Don't sweat it. Everyone has their spats at each other now and again. I certainly ain't gonna think anything of it."

"Thanks, Joel."

"It's okay."

They trudged through the warm and moist forest floor littered with yellowing leaves, and breathed in the cool, crystalline autumn air. It was a cold morning, but not unpleasantly so; even though she was comfortable, she wondered how far North they had strayed – it was considerably warmer back at Jackson. Another thing she missed. They walked quietly together for a few minutes, before Joel struck up conversation again. It was pleasantly unusual for him to be chatty.

"So what do you think?" He asked her.

"What?" She replied, unsure of his meaning.

"What do you think?" He asked again. "Of this, the whole situation."

She shrugged.

"I don't know. I mean, it's been a long time since we found people like these."

"What, ones who don't shoot you on sight?"

"Barring the red-rings, yeah."

He huffed slightly.

"That all?"

"No." She admitted. "I miss Jackson. I do. I miss Tommy, and the kids, and the horses, and everything. Don't get me wrong, Adam and Evelynn are swell, but... it's not the same."

"I hear you." He lifted a log for her to squeeze underneath, the dense and damp wood a light weight in his capable hands. She moved herself under deftly, and held it up for Joel as he quickly slid under and relinquished it from her grip. She didn't drop it; she was getting stronger, and he knew that. He smiled at her proudly, and continued walking, almost caught up to the other three men.

"Do you miss them?"

He looked at her funny.

"Of course I miss them. He's my brother, I miss him every day."

"Then why'd we leave?"

He cast his eyes downwards.

"Ellie..."

"Please?" She asked. "Please tell me."

"It's... it's not exactly a pleasant story."

"I'd like to hear it."

He inhaled, and then exhaled deeply, his breath clouding in the cool morning air. She saw his brow furrow as he remembered the details of his narrative.

"It began a long time before I met you. Probably before you were even born."

"Just after the outbreak?"

"Yeah." He said, continuing forward. "It was just Tommy and I. He never was that great at anything physical; he was the smart one. So, I had to keep him safe as best I could. Starting off, I was pretty similar to how Adam is now, but... the reality is, the nice guys are all dead."

"You don't mean that."

"I do." He countered. "In this world, Ellie, there ain't nothing that's personal. You shoot first, or you die."

"I get that, but..." Her thoughts turned back to Adam gunning down the two captive guards, and her voice trailed off.

He stopped. "But we had to leave, because I had that mindset and Tommy didn't. I'm the soldier, and he? He's the civilian. The family man, if you like. I found myself... almost wanting to get in trouble. It weren't right. That's when I knew I had to leave there, and I sure as hell weren't leaving you behind."

"Why not?" She asked, confused.

He ruffled her hair. She was nearly as tall as he was now, coming up to his shoulders. It was almost an effort for him to show affection in the manner he wanted to.

"We have too much fun, you and I."

She chuckled. "I guess so."

They stood there for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of the air between them once again being cleared. She had never known her father, but she was adamant that Joel was better than he'd ever been.

The bliss was shattered by the Watcher's arrival.

"We're about five minutes out." He said bluntly, still apparently scorned from their earlier argument. His balaclava was back on, concealing his identity, and his had slung the weathered assault rifle down into his hands. She glanced at the safety, and swallowed when she saw it was off. She didn't expect Adam to do anything hostile towards her or Joel, but... after their clash, she wasn't convinced that he wouldn't, either.

"In front of me." He said. "They may have men in the forest."

The stood in front of the Scotsman and began walking, with him following closely behind. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at his presence, and was immensely relieved when they caught up to Blufor and Carlos, who took their places and separated her from the Watcher and his assault rifle. Needless to say, she was beginning to understand the fear of him that the nearby area held.

A few minutes passed with nothing to document, until Adam lifted his radio to his face, and again slipped into the ruse of Sticks.

"Martyr Base, Martyr base, over."

The radio crackled into life, and he held it closely to his face, the damaged grey assault rifle hanging loosely in his right hand.

_"This is Martyr Base, over."_

"Sticks, reporting in. Four escaped captives in custody. They ambushed us and killed the two who were manning the gate last night."

_"Shit, Simon was wondering where they'd gotten to. You have the situation under control, over?"_

"Affirmative."

_"Alright, bring them in. We'll throw them in the cells with the other-"_

"No." Adam interjected. "This is personal. Let me take them to Warehouse 3 for some... negotiations."

A strange noise echoed out of the speaker, that could only have been a sigh.

_"All right." _The radio spoke. _"Take them there. Just keep them alive, you know Simon doesn't want deaths."_

"That's fine." Adam replied. "Keep the big guy off my tail, okay? He won't exactly condone my methods but... trust me. They deserve it."

_"He always did have a weak stomach. Use the West Gate, sticks." _

_"_Will do. Sticks out."

He slipped the radio back onto his lapel with a swift movement, and pulled the assault rifle back up into shooting position.

"All right, that's sorted. Weapons down here, please."

Carlos put down one of the sniper rifles, a torn expression on his face, and Blufor laid the second one down on the fauna-covered forest floor, adjacent to the first. Joel slipped a 9mm pistol out of his belt, and stowed it in a hollowed-out log beside them.

Upon rising, Blufor questioned his comrade.

"How did you know we had three warehouses?"

Adam shrugged. "I didn't." He followed the statement with a wry smile.

"Which one's the LAV in?" Carlos inquired, his voice slightly quivering. "I don't wanna bump into Simon again."

"It's underneath Warehouse 2." Blufor confirmed. "No one goes in it, it's structurally unsound. We shouldn't have too much trouble there."

"All right." Adam said, gesturing towards the thinning forest. "Everyone ready?"

Joel let out a quiet sigh.

"As ready as we'll ever be." He murmured. Adam didn't hear, or chose to ignore the comment. He moved forward, and she and the others followed, with Adam trailing closely behind.

The bush began to recede, and shrubs gave way to cool, short green grass. Her boots were moistened by the morning dew, and she revelled in the relaxing air while she still could; they were about to re-enter the Dragon's den, and she had a hunch they wouldn't be as lucky the second time around. Eventually, they arrived at the forest's perimeter, and the same, ugly, grey, damp-ridden walls slid into sight.

They emerged into the clearing, and Adam shoved the barrel of his gun into Blufor's back, ushering him into the clearing. Luckily, the squadmate predicted the gesture, and mocked pain as he jumped forward, raising his hands. Joel mimicked him, and she and Carlos followed suit. Adam moved to her side, and raised his hand to the gate.

There were two guards on post; one of whom had obviously been there all night, and had almost jumped out of his skin when his colleague had roused him from sleep to raise their guns at the group.

"You one of ours?" The guard who'd been awake hollered.

"Sure am." Adam replied, his American accent proving to be consistently convincing.

"All right, bring them in."

The guard turned and spoke into his radio as Adam ushered them forward. The rusted and dilapidated steel gate swung open, the spikes on its front receding as it peeled away from the cinder-block perimeter wall. Behind it stood another three red-rings, their weapons all trained on the captives.

Before she knew it, they were passing through, underneath the gate, and back into the throng of the Eagle's Nest. In the distance, she hear muffled voices, some louder than others, advertising; the morning market must be in full swing by now. She was shocked that the civilian population were still ignorant to the infamy of the group that had silently conquered their home.

She found suddenly that she had walked astray, and quickly jumped back to the group, looking upwards and receiving a piercing look from two of the by-standing soldiers. She faked a look of fear, and hobbled away from them, hoping that they'd bought her show.

They passed the mingling guards, and she heard the tell-tale sound of the gate swinging shut behind them. There was no turning back now. She observed her surroundings, absorbing their route as she went. At one point, she thought she saw a familiar face staring at her, and tried to get a closer look. The young woman had turned away from her when she took her second glance, and as a result she was unable to confirm her identity. She couldn't shake the feeling that they'd met before, though, and not pleasantly.

Adam walked a little faster, bringing his body into the group to address them.

"We're in, good work. Keep the acting up. Now we've just got to head over to that warehouse, and we'll plough our way out of here."

The market was visible to their right, colourful and vibrant and odd-smelling, with wares being bartered for left right and centre. Stores sold ammunition, weaponry, clothing, meat, bread, and much more. Women and children frequented the event, although there were also a large amount of men; although, she noticed none were between the age of twenty and fifty – they were most likely residing in the cells.

"What about the market?" She gestured to her right. "We just gonna plough through that?"

"No." Adam whispered forcefully. "Only if we have to. My plan is to head straight out the North Gate, up past the old fuel depots, and then-"

The scotsman's head shot up at an inhuman speed, followed by hers and the rest of the groups', as they observed the gargantuan man stride around the corner, accompanied by two lackeys.

"Sticks!" The mammoth man shouted, laughing, his voice thick with southern tones. "I heard you were back! It's good to see you."

"Simon!" Adam feigned happiness at the sight of the brute. She realised that this Simon was the same one she'd overheard in the prison cell two days prior... he was the commander of this operation, and a fearful one at that.

"Heard you had a bit of a situation last night! We lost two men, did we not?"

"We sure did." Adam admitted. "Turns out they don't shoot straight when they're drunk."

The huge man ran a shovel-sized hand over his white-blonde crew-cut. A large vein stuck out in his forehead, and his muscles bulged out from underneath his tank-top; where Adam's muscle was aesthetic as well as strong, Simon's was simply grotesque. Still, she didn't exactly savour the thought of having him chase her down a corridor.

Simon chuckled, and brought Adam in for a tight embrace. She was dully surprised that the bear-hug hadn't broken Adam's ribs.

"Well, it's good to have you back. I need good men like you!"

"Yes sir." Adam spoke timidly, stepping back from the embrace and dusting himself off. She quickly averted her gaze to the floor when Simon's melon-sized head turned its focus on her and the others.

"I heard you were taking them to the warehouse?"

"Yeah, I was." Adam replied. "You should've seen what they did to the others, Simon. They don't deserve to just be locked up."

She saw the big man shudder slightly at the premonition of torture. Apparently, the civilised and collected Simon that presented himself for the majority of the time wasn't a fan of blood and gore. She had no doubt, however, that his enraged side loved the stuff.

"All right, I trust your judgement." He said. "But I want them alive, you hear?"

"Of course." Adam nodded courteously.

With that, Simon smiled a toothy grin that only made his stern face even uglier to behold. He moved past the group, and with his lackeys in tow, made his way over the the bustle of guards they'd left behind at that gate.

Adam immediately motioned them to move when the brute had passed them by. They began to walk away from the noise, until the clutter and sound of the street market became muffled, and then faded entirely. They rounded several corners, past rusted storage containers and barrels, crates and electrical transformers, and other debris; it took them almost as long to find the warehouses as it had taken to get to the town from the pump station.

Upon arrival in the industrial complex, she stared upwards in awe at the three huge structures before her. Steel gurders held up vast tracts of corrugated iron, some of which may have been nearly thirty meters in length; the sheer scale of the buildings was what surprised her most. She been in cities before, and seen all the colossal structures there, but... it was almost hard to believe that people had enough stuff to fill three buildings meant only for possessions. She only owned a handful of things, and they were always on her person.

They approached the buildings, only to find the first was locked and barred from the exterior.

Joel moved forward and shook the chains barring the double-door, in vain hope that they'd relinquish under his movement.

"We ain't getting in here." He stated.

Adam stood in silence, until Blufor took up residence beside him and negated his worries.

"There, do you see that?" He gestured towards an old hatch to their left, almost covered over by the rising grasses. The dark-green metal was only just visible.

"The hatch?"

"Yeah." He confirmed. "That drops down into a corridor that leads to the basements. It's how the workmen would get in when they didn't want to open the garage doors in the front. Amber and I keep the helicopter in Warehouse 1."

"The helicopter." Joel said, confirming the existence of the vehicle. "What's say the red-rings didn't finish what you two started?"

Blufor glanced around the dilapidated compound.

"No, they would'nt have the supplies. Plus, they haven't even been here yet. The barricades on the doors were put here by Amber, just over a month back."

"Thank god for that." Adam said, moving over the the metal plate in the ground. Upon arrival, instead of simply leaning down and examining the hatch, he straightened up and turned to Blufor, his face plastered with concern.

"What is it?" Blufor inquired, breaking the silence.

"It's not been locked. No bolts, nothing. Yet the chains and planks barring all the main doors are relatively knew, are they not?"

"He's right, there could be someone around." Joel confirmed, turning to Blufor. "There ain't much point in turning back now, though."

The squadmate sighed.

"All right, we'll chance it. You first, Gunny."

Adam did as bid, and deftly removed the hatch-lid from its hold, placing it silently on the grass next to him, and lowered himself, slowly, into the blackness of the corridor below. There was a brief moment of silence, and an echoing thud as he hit the floor.

"Watch out." His voice reverberated out of the hole, just loudly enough to be audible. "It's a two meter drop."

His face came into view in the hole, lit by the meagre supply of light the sun gave. Carlos followed next, traversing the obstacle in silence, and standing in the hole, with Adam, without so much as uttering a word. Blufor went down afterwards, and raised his hands back through the hole, gesturing to her.

"You next, Ellie."

Joel picked her up, and gently eased her down the hatch, and she thought she was going to fall until Blufor's definite and strong hands clasped around her knees, lowering her into the darkness. She moved out of the way, and Joel jumped in after her, swaying slightly from the drop, and leaving the hatch open. No one seemed to notice, and she let the matter slide.

Carlos took a flashlight out of his backpack, and flicked it on illuminating the eerie space. The corridor extended out in front of them, into pitch-black darkness, and from this perspective it appeared infinite. There were small rooms to their left, almost like offices, and she heard the scurrying of rats, disturbed by the unusual human presence. At one point, she thought she'd heard voices behind her, but dismissed the idea as ridiculous.

They strode slowly down the corridor and bypassed the entry to Warehouse 1's basement, a large, push-bar double door with reinforced glass windows that still hung strongly in its frame. She tried to gaze through the window, trying to spy something remotely helicopter-shaped, but couldn't find anything of interest, and was quickly reigned in and ushered forward by Joel.

They quickly reached the second door, the one marked with a yellow '2' above the entryway. Adam gently placed his hands on the push-bar and put some force in, and the metal door silently swung open, to revealing the vast, darkened expanse in front of them. In the very centre of the massive basement, barely visible, was a large object covered by a tarpaulin. Her heart skipped a beat with happiness at the premise that their escape was at hand.

Adam entered the room first, and everyone else poured in behind him. Carlos directed the flash light toward the large, covered object, illuminating the green and oil-stained canvas in a harsh white light. Adam gestured to Blufor, and the two moved toward the tarp, taking hold of either side. She stood next to Joel and gazed at the object in awe of what it could be.

The tarp flew upwards, revealing the concealed entity.

Large, rectangular wooden crates were piled to two meters high, and extended the length of the basement. There was no vehicle, or anything that resembled transport in sight.

Adam was taken aback.

"It's not here." He murmured quietly, his breathing becoming ragged and heavy. "It isn't here. Blufor, it isn't fucking here!"

"I know!" The squadmate replied, trying to alleviate his friend's tension. "I swear, before they came, it was right here! They must've-"

"Moved it?" A voice echoed out from behind them. A light switch clicked on, followed by the sound of a least five safeties being switched off, their dull metallic clicks echoing around the concrete basement. The lights slowly flickered into life, one by one, revealing Simon's hulking figure crowding the doorway, a huge LMG clutched in his hands. There were others with him, but only two gun barrels managed to squeeze between the commander's gargantuan arms and the doorframe.

"Guess you missed that intel meeting, huh, Sticks?" Said a new voice, from outside the door; younger, and female, yet with the same poison that dominated Simon's tones, and as condescending as all hell.

Buck squeezed between Simon and the door, into view, her right arm sewn up at the stump where Joel's bullet had torn her hand clean off. She held a 9mm pistol in her good hand, and trained it on Ellie the moment she made eye contact. "Thought it was you I saw back out there, runt. Wasn't sure, though, til I saw your attack dog. Then I knew something was up, and... well, the word is that Sticks ain't who he says he is." She gestured to Joel. "Thanks for this by the way, you motherfucker!"

"Gimme your other hand." Joel replied. "I'm sure I can do it again."

"Enough." Simon yelled. "What's going on here?"

"Shut up, oaf." She spat at Simon, and then pointed her pistol toward Adam. "Are you really that fucking dense that you don't know who he is?"

Simon turned his machine gun on Adam, finally comprehending that the Scotsman had been playing a ruse the entire time. Ellie saw his melon-head redden as he swallowed his rage.

"Who are you, Sticks? What does she mean?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Simon." Adam replied, still trying to play the American.

"Quit bullshitting." Buck shouted, poison dripping off her words. "He's not Sticks, you fucking moron! He's the Watcher. The motherfucking Watcher, hiding under your fat nose this whole time!" She turned back to face Adam. "Why don't you show the gorilla you real face?"

The Scotsman said nothing, only pausing briefly and staying stock still. Then, in realisation that there was no other option, he raised the balaclava off of his face, and let his auburn hair fall down over his head in medium-length, sweat-coated locks. At the sight of his face, Simon tensed, every muscle in his body tightening horribly, like a collection of overfilled balloons.

Adam's hands slowly moved behind his back, and he started to deftly remove a small, rectangular shaped canister from his belt.

"Motherfucker." Simon said. It was the only time she'd ever heard the big man swear, his civility completely abashed by rage.

Adam pulled the pin out of the cylinder, and clamped his hand down on the lever. He held the object for a mere moment, winked at her, and then hurled it downrange, directly at Simon. Blufor, Carlos and Joel all covered their ears and looked sharply at the floor.

It exploded in the air, directly infront of Simon's face, in a brilliant and incomprehensibly white light. Her ears peaked at the noise it made, and an immensely loud ringing was the only sound she heard for a few moments. As the noise in her head began to clear, it was replaced by the equally loud thrum of automatic gunfire, as a pair of strong hands scooped her up and dragged her along at immense speed. Her whole world span and revolved around her, and every now and again she'd catch glimpses of Joel through the whiteness still overpowering her eyes. He shouted - she didn't hear what he said – and the movement of his lips was followed by another immense bang, more explosive this time, and large segments of corrugated iron flew past them, allowing daylight to pour in through the vast orifice they'd created.

Once again she was moving, the strong arms underneath her whisking her away from the danger that had erupted. Slowly, she began to reclaim her senses, and found her feet. She was sprinting as fast as she could, behind Joel, Blufor and Adam, with Carlos trailing behind her. There were others, as well; she bustled past throngs of civilians, all of whom were screaming and scrambling to get away from the turmoil that had all but destroyed their morning market. She thought they had escaped the mammoth man and the bitch, until she stopped next to the others, hiding behind a steel livestock trailer parked in the quad. The wall infront of them soared meters into the sky, with bullets raining down from its height and barraging their cover.

Adam answered with more rounds, but in short, calculated bursts, and the assailants from the wall soon began to tumble and fall into the crowd below. Shots burst out from behind them too, erratically, in volleys, but Joel answered, firing the same thought-out and small bursts with an acquired assault rifle, dropping red-ring after red-ring as they tried to move through the civilians fleeing the scene.

Adam moved up to his height, put a burst into the chain around the gate, and kicked the rusted metal apart in one swift and immensely strong movement. Blufor practically threw her over the stall, to Adam, who bustled her out of gate, with Blufor following closely behind. Adam and Joel stood at the gate, guarding their escape, their short bursts echoing around the market street.

In front of her, two men moved swiftly out of their seats in an improvised four-man dune buggy, advancing, only to be met by Blufor's military training. The first man swung, missed, and caught Blufor's fist in his temple, falling immediately into unconsciousness. The second swung a knife forward with all his weight, only to be redirected by the veteran, who sent the knife straight into the assailant's own gut. Adam and Joel swiftly moved past her, taking up seats in the buggy as Blufor wrestled with the ignition, trying to coax some life into the vehicle.

A voice called out behind her.

"Help! Fuck, help me!"

She wheeled around a few feet away from the car to see Carlos, pinned by metal trailer they'd taken cover behind, his leg mangled and caught in the reinforcement beneath.

Without thinking, she ran away from the car, towards the dark-skinned man, convinced that she needed to rescue him. A voice behind her called her name desperately, and one of the three men jumped down to chase after her.

She was faster.

She reached Carlos in moments, and began to work at trying to free his mangled leg from the poles of the trailer, paying no recognition to the red-ringed silhouettes pouring towards her, or the man firing at them behind her. Carlos was distraught, and she tried her hardest to free him.

More soldiers entered the square, immediately taking up positions where others fell. Bullets flew in hailstorms, everywhere.

She gave up; it was useless. She tried to say "I'm sorry", but no words escaped her mouth. She turned and made for the exit, before a dark hand clamped down on her leg and pulled her to the floor, the breath being stolen from her body as she crashed into the dirt.

"No, please!" Carlos screamed. "Don't fucking leave me!"

Adam was suddenly beside her, a scowl plastered on his face. He paused for a minuscule moment, calculating what to do.

His assault rifle fired, and a burst tore through Carlos' arm, relinquishing his firm grip on Ellie's calf. The dark-skinned man screamed in agony, his voice almost being drowned out by the sound of gunfire and the shouts of commanding officers. He reared backwards, hiding in the wreckage of the trailer, his face a mix of agony and betrayal.

Adam stood, fired a few more times, and then pulled her up and swung her over his shoulders. The suddenness of the movement shocked her, as his full strength was displayed for the first time. In mere seconds they were out of the gate, and clambering into the back of the buggy. She drew the Magnum from the inside of her jacket, and managed to loose her entire chamber before the shitty vehicle managed to roar into life, and began careering down the dirt road laid out before them.

The red-rings followed them out in droves, laying down as much fire as possible, with less shots finding their mark as they speedily pulled away.

The wind rushed through her hair, smearing the blood on the side of her face that'd been splattered there when Carlos' forearm had exploded, allowing Adam to free her.

She turned her gaze away from the fearsome town, banishing her memories and the horrible look on Carlos' face, and glanced to her left, observing the man that until a few moments ago she had deemed a monster and a murderer.

He was sitting there, breathing heavily, clearly upset at that fact he had to leave a man behind. Despite that... he'd saved _her_. He'd chosen her over a fit and capable man. Chosen a loved one over a stranger.

Maybe she was starting to understand what Joel meant by "You shoot first, or you die."


	16. Chapter 16 - The Eagle's Nest - IV

She subconsciously felt the cool and all too familiar touch of slightly-oxidised metal pressing against her forehead. Whilst it was there, and albeit whilst she was unaware of it, it soothed her skull and drew the heat and blood out of her forehead, calming her.

The air was equally cold as it caressed around her, swirling gently, akin to dancers in a ballroom. There was some din in the distance; a quiet noise, muffled, despite belonging to consternation of some type. For now, it was distant from her; her focus was simply on the events churning in her mind. Fragmented images of pain and horror frequented her dream-space, driving her to move, to run, to be free of the foul hallucinations.

Fatigue was her enemy in that regard; her body refused to respond to her whims. Instead it stayed frozen, almost entrapping her, an eerie and otherworldly experience for even the most veteran of nightmare dwellers.

A single drop of dew slithered its crystal path downwards, past oxide and rust, toward her, still sitting in the buggy, her chest slowly rising and falling, her auburn hair moving in unison with her ragged breaths.

It leapt, and fell, landing right on her head. She experienced falling as she was snapped back into conciousness; she yelped quietly, a hand shooting up and clasping the metal framework of the bare-bones buggy in front of her.

The basement they had parked up in added a whole new definition to bare-bones; where miscellaneous objects and fractals usually impregnated cellars of the past, the only residents here were cabinets lining the walls, the buggy seated in the centre of the room, and three men in the distance examining their weaponry, and arguing.

She raised the back of her hand and scraped sleep and gunk from her eyes, opening them up properly as they dilated to absorb as much light as possible. Vivid and bright sunlight coursed in through tiny windows at the top of the room, sectioning the space with divisions of light, dust particles hovering and reflecting the urban clutter that human kind had synthesised. There was no doubt, now; she couldn't remember falling asleep, but they must've reached their destination.

Her thoughts turned to Evelynn. It'd been nearly a week since the ambush in the quarry... had Adam told her the truth? Was the scientist alive, and in the lodge like he said, or lying in a ditch somewhere, or worse?

Would she have condoned what he did to escape the Eagle's Nest? To have pinned it as an act of valour and leadership... or an act of cowardice?

She refused to engage in the mental debate with herself.

It had been almost three years since she had been in a city. Not a town, or a larger settlement, but a real city, with skyscrapers and sidewalks and old, rusted-out cars scattered like children's toys across countless streets...

She raised herself from her seat in the rear of the buggy, her shins groaning under her weight, her joints screaming with the pain of disuse and fatigue. She stood on her boots, the quiet sound of footfall being entirely negated by the argument frequenting the air near to her.

She blocked it out, ironed out the kinks in her steps and made her way solemnly to one of the stupidly small, above-ground windows. She was too short to stand right up to the droplet-covered and dusty glass, but managed to sneak a fairly good look at the exterior when she stood on the flat of her feet a meter or so back from the wall.

The window opened onto a street, paved in hues of cool orange and lighter yellow as the rising, early-morning sun glistened pristinely off of tired and dilapidated glass that occupied nearby windows. She felt a certain sense of homeliness here; she was fully aware of the dangers of built-up areas in this day and age, but the ghostly nostalgia of standing in a place were thousands... no, millions of people had once lived their lives was nothing short of amazing.

The din behind her was growing more intense, despite staying hushed. She continued to try and escape from involvement by avoiding it entirely, and meandered back towards the buggy with a yawn accompanying her.

On the bonnet rested her Magnum, which when she felt her jacket for it, had obviously fallen out while she had slept. She was beyond relieved that she hadn't lost it, and returned it to the concealed holster within her coat, the weight of it against her chest granting her some degree of security. Alongside where it had lay, filling the spaces between numerous bullet-holes and grazes, lay a small, tan-leather wallet, containing syringes within. She hadn't been counting, but she could see there were less full ones in there than the last time she'd looked... that was a relief in itself. She'd more or less forgotten about Joel and Adam's shots, given that she had no need to participate in the inoculations herself. She felt gladness at the fact the men had not shared her poor memory.

The din was almost on the point of bubbling over. Deciding to bite the bullet, she made her way over to the three men who were arguing, clumped around a tattered map that was spread carelessly over a damp, rotting crate, and intervened.

She yawned again. "What's the problem, guys?" She asked as she moved over to them. At her intervention, the three voices stopped attacking each other, and fell into silence.

Joel turned to her, and knelt down to her height.

"Ellie, are you okay?"

"What?" She joked, slightly taken aback from the urgency in his tone, and of how grey his ragged beard had gotten since she had last noticed.

"Are you okay? Are you?"

"Yeah." She said, seriousness returning to her voice as she realised he was in no mood to kid. "Yeah, I'm fine. Not a scratch. Why?"

The older man let out a sigh, dropping his head in the process. He turned it slightly and spoke again, not to her, his voice venomous.

"You will never risk her again."

A Scottish voice responded.

"I saved her, didn't I? I got her out of there."

Joel stood, and span around.

"That's not the point."

"That's entirely the point."

"You two are forgetting that we lost a man." Blufor piped up, cleaning dirt from under his nails with a hunting knife. His gaze looked up to Adam.

"Because we decided to go out the front way." He said to the Scotsman.

Adam's voice began to carry anger. His exposed arms tensed, slightly skewing the sullen memoriam tattooed on his right bicep.

"Are you saying his death was _my _fault?"

"Yes." Joel said, harshly.

"Yes, I agree." Blufor concluded in agreement. "If we'd gone back to the prison, we'd have been able to get out again, with everyone."

"Instead," Joel began, "you felt the need for a rush. Sure, the flashbang surprised them. Didn't mean shit when we got to the gate, though."

"Are you fucking joking?" Adam asked, his voice choosing not to shout, to instead split into a savage whisper. "They were going to shoot her, shoot us, then and there." He turned to Blufor, his eyes dark. "If you thought they were going to recapture us, you were wrong. That was a stupid assumption."

"The only stupid thing that happened that day was agreeing to go back there with you."

That comment almost snapped the Watcher. He resisted the temptation to tackle Blufor; she could see the tension in his upper body bulging out of his tank-top as he tried to hold his anger back. He exhaled, and placed his head in his hands, trying to calm himself.

"Look, it was either him or her."

"Don't say that." Joel almost shouted, wincing at the thought of Ellie facing harm.

"Don't say what? That Ellie might've died?"

"Don't fucking _say that."_

Adam moved directly up to Joel, stood at his full height in front of the man, and spoke directly into his face.

"What, you think that she's always going to be safe and happy in this fucked up world we're still trying to hang on to? Who pulled her out of there, huh? Who was the one who put his neck in the firing line to get her back? That's right, I did. You didn't even get out of the buggy."

Joel didn't respond, only casting his eyes downward, his resolve clearly thrown by the truth.

"I wonder why, though?" Adam spoke, continuing to push Joel. She sat on the periphery, helplessly watching the two seasoned survivors clash. "Was it because your 'special girl' isn't worth protecting as much any more?"

She watched Blufor stand out the corner of her eye, and place the combat knife down, bracing himself to account for the worst.

Joel met the man's eyes, still silent, fury burning in his gaze.

Adam's faced contorted with a feigned and melodramatic realisation.

"Oh wait, I know! It's... because you're getting old, isn't it? Getting upset because you can't fucking keep up any more?"

She reared backwards as Joel lashed out, a swift and strong punch which sailed directly into Adam's cheekbone, sending the Scotsman rearing backwards, falling onto the rotting crate and almost impaling himself on the combat knife.

"The fuck, Joel?" She blurted, moving quickly towards him. "What the fuck do you think you are-"

The breath was pushed from her body as Joel's hand landed on her chest, and his full force pushed her back, making her fall onto the concrete floor.

The Watcher stood, wiped the blood from the fresh cut on his cheek, and with a furious expression, ran at Joel and shoulder barged him onto the floor, pinning him. He was thrown off when Joel kicked him forcefully in the side, only to catch his breath and tackle the older man again, this time into the wall.

Joel let out a small yelp of pain, most unusually for him. Without thinking, she reacted almost in an almost animal fashion at the injuring of one of her family, and before sprinting at the Scotsman, plucked an empty syringe from the leather wallet. She threw herself onto Adam's massive back, and jammed the syringe just above his left shoulder blade, the point sliding into his flesh easily. He screamed in pain, and stumbled backwards, grappling manically for the needle. She saw his hands find the item, rip it out of his shoulder in a swift movement and crush it in one hand. He began to move towards her.

What? Why was he coming towards _her? _Surely he wouldn't...?

He didn't get five feet before Joel sprinted across the room. His right hand crashed into the side of Adam's face, sending him back down to the floor. The Watcher answered with a vicious uppercut that knocked the older man onto his back, gasping.

Blufor intervened.

"Grab Joel!" He shouted, wrapping a muscular arm firmly around Adam's throat and dragging him to his feet, blood spewing out of the Watcher's nose where Joel had struck him hard and split the bone.

She moved over to her protector and helped him up. He stood gradually, with much more effort than Adam, and spat a globule of blood onto the floor, the dull crimson splat sounding just by her. He looked over Adam with distaste and fury, as Blufor was struggling to hold the huge ex-SAS soldier back.

"Are you done?" Blufor shouted in the Scotsman's ear as he struggled.

Adam squirmed for a moment more, then closed his eyes, went still, and swallowed the rage that had consumed him. He lifted his head and opened his eyes again, calmly using his free hand to clamp his bleeding nostril shut and breathing deeply.

"Let me go." He said calmly.

"Adam..." Blufor began.

"Let me go." He said more forcefully.

Blufor glanced up to Joel, who, despite panting, nodded. He relinquished his grip from around the Watcher and moved backwards. Adam's body loosened, and he stood on his own two feet, rolled his head around, and picked up his tattered assault rifle from the side of the crate.

The other three in the room tensed. The Watcher noticed, scowled, overacted slinging the weapon over his back and with sarcasm, walked swiftly out of a nearby bar-locked door, scaling a flight of stairs into the iridescent, orange-bathed street in moments, allowing the light to course in and brighten the room.

"The fuck was that about?" Ellie spurted, using her jacket sleeve to wipe the blood from around Joel's mouth as stood. Joel said nothing, and only stood there, brooding.

Blufor addressed them, leaning on the crate that had almost shattered under Adam's weight.

"Don't worry about him, he's just stressed..."

"Looks a bit more severe than just fucking stress." Ellie interjected.

"You weren't awake."

"What?"

"You weren't awake, neither of you were."

She was surprised by this development.

"What do you mean?" She clasped Joel's hand and led him over to Blufor.

"Did something happen on the journey?" She asked the squad-mate.

"I was only just awake, and Adam was driving, as usual... you know how he always insists?" Blufor let out a light chuckle. "Ever the gentleman. Anyway... it was a few hours after we got away, the sky was growing darker. That valley that the Nest is in is huge; you could still see the lights on the walls, in the distance, if you knew where to look."

"So what?"

"So... we glanced back once, saw it, and there was only the lights. We talked for a bit, and glanced back again. Slightly north from the town, there was smoke, and a lot of it." Blufor scooped up a second, more recently acquired assault rifle and sat it in his arms. "Looked like a forest fire."

"North of the Nest?" Ellie asked, putting the clues together. "You mean-?"

"Where Evelynn is? Yeah. We talked about the possibility, and agreed that the fire did look like it'd come from an explosive of some sort."

Ellie stood there in silence, clinging to Joel's hand and staring at the map on the table. He reacted to the sudden tensing of her grip, and drew her a little closer to him.

"That isn't all." Blufor continued. She saw him glance over to the buggy, and then return his eyes to her. "He's running out of shots."

She moved her head around to glance at the leather wallet resting on the bonnet, viewing its contents. Sure enough, she noted the supply of the immuno-suppresant was waning; over ten syringes sat empty, with only six still containing a dull yellow liquid. One was missing, and she remembered its demise when it was crushed in Adam's mighty hand.

"Without those shots," he began, standing and slipping on his jacket, then his backpack, "he'll turn. So will Joel. He needs to get back to Evelynn to get more."

"He told you?"

"Yeah. We had a lot of time to talk."

"Right." She made the final connection. "And without Evelynn, there won't be any more."

"Exactly." He said, briefly glancing up at her as he gathered all sorts of gear from around the crate.

She split from Joel, moved towards the wallet of syringes on the hood of the buggy, folded it shut, and gently slipped it into her jacket pocket, by her heart, alongside the .44 Magnum.

"Does he only care about his life?" She asked, turning back to Blufor and Joel. "Or does he care about Evelynn too?"

"Both." Blufor replied. "More her than his life, but death... and the idea of a death in vain... does things to people."

He turned to Joel.

"I hope you're at least mature enough not to take this any further."

Joel simply nodded, bent down, and slung the third and final assault rifle over his back. He moved through the door, up the steps and out into the city. Ellie did her jacket up, securing her precious cargo, and made her way out in suit, leaving Blufor to clear up and close the door on his way out.

Joel had stopped in the street, and she reached his side, where she stood and gazed around at the scenery. Some buildings were dilapidated and sad, with cracks in their greying bricks that fauna sprouted and spurted from in erratic patterns, while others were majestic and glistening, the yellow light of the mid-morning sun refracting through thousands of panes of glass that were somehow intact after nearly thirty years of zero maintenance. The asphalt they stood on was old, and baked to within an inch of its life by the sun above; where it would once have been jet black, the hue had brightened to a steel-like grey, interlaced with thousands of cracks differing in both size and composition. There were bus-stops and metro entrances, bookstores and coffee shops, and old husks of cars and trucks slumbering in front of them. She had passed through many a city in her time, but always loved imagining people flitting between the shops and up and down the sidewalks, buying a hotdog or a coffee on their way to work... with no thought of killing, or needing to survive. Only of their loved ones, and how soon it would been until they could see them again, to hear their laughs and to embrace them.

Blufor arrived next to them, looking formidable as ever, pulling her away from her idyllic daydream.

"What's the plan then, Sarge?" She asked jokingly, trying to shake away the last thoughts of civilisation and focus on survival.

"Easy." Blufor replied. "Find Adam. He won't have gone far. Then, find Mercs. Or Red-Rings. Or both. Either will lead us to Amber."

"How do we know she's in this city?"

Blufor grinned cheekily at her, through the corner of his mouth.

"We don't." He gestured down the street. "Shall we?"

They began to walk, just slowly, along the street laid out before them, weaving in and out of car shells and soaking up the light of the sun. It gave her surprising strength to feel it again – almost charging her batteries, per se. The weather they had experienced up near the Eagle's Nest was unforgiving; cold, wet alpine conditions that sapped the strength from even the strongest man. The weather here, though... it was apparent they had travelled a long way.

Joel spoke up.

"What's that?" He gestured forward, to a white and yellowed van half-sunken into the concrete, residing next to the entrance of the city's subway system. Sure enough, the item of intrigue was more evident upon approach; on the van's rear doors, a rough eye had been drawn in black ink, with an arrow, which pointed downwards and to the right, directing them into the subway.

"Well," Blufor began, "Adam might have his issues, but at least he's smart."

They made their way gradually over to the entrance of the subway station, warily keeping a close eye on any open doors or orifices in the buildings, their eyes occasionally flitting from their weapons, to the buildings, to each other, and back. When they reached the opening that led into the darkened depths of the subway, they hesitated. Without the light of the sun, it was impossible to see, but when the rays hit the air in just the right way, she could see the cloud of spores sitting just below the top of the staircase. A slight greenish tinge and a pungent smell accompanied their presence.

"Shit, spores." Joel swore. "That's gonna mess things up. I don't know about you, but I didn't happen on a mask."

"I did." Blufor said, pulling his backpack around, removing the gas mask, and sliding the plastic respirator down over his head.

"Don't suppose you have any more of those?" Joel asked, a surprising amount of apprehension lacing his tones.

"No, only one." He looked to Ellie and spoke, his voice muffled by the mask. "We only need one, and that's for me."

She touched Joel's arm lightly, bringing his gaze down to her.

"You're like me, remember?" She smiled warmly at him, trying to bolster his confidence.

"You're infected, so is Adam. Looks like he remembered."

"But..." Joel asked, again apprehensive. "What if... what if it don't work, if I turn down there?"

"Then Adam already has, and we need to rethink our plan." The squad-mate slapped Joel on the back jokingly. "C'mon. What's life if it's not worth being risked?"

Joel nodded, sighed gently, and made his way toward the entrance, taking point. He took a deep gulp of fresh air before he went down, and then calmly began descending the steps into the station, flicking the tactical light on his assault rifle on as he went.

"Can't ever say I've done this before..." He spoke, breathing in the spores, allowing them to pass through his body. When they came to a halt at the end of the staircase, Ellie approached him.

"Anything?" She asked.

"No..." He said, with slight amazement creeping through his tough demeanour. "Nothing. I've seen guys lose their masks and start choking straight away, but... nothing. I'm fine."

He looked down, and met her eyes.

"This what it's like for you, all the time?"

"Yep." She said, perkily. "Welcome to the club, Joel."

Blufor arrived beside them both.

"Lucky, you two. This thing sweats like a bitch."

With that, he walked on, taking point from Joel.

They walked into the station, which expanded out before them; upon examination, she saw that it was a transit station, not one of the big, flashy ones that were irrigated with shop upon shop in a hope to coax commuters out of their hard-earned money, and that it's facilities were minimalist to say the least. The platform was lined with red, with rusted metal benches plastering every available wall, and old, dusty, unused monitors hanging down from the ceiling. Their flashlights probed the space, looking for any sign of the next clue.

To her surprise, since entering the subway, there had been no sounds of the infected; no manic murmuring, no eerie clicking echoing up the tunnels. The only thing present were the spores, and they were always silent.

"Found anything?" She asked, becoming slightly impatient with the small size of the station.

There was no reply for a few moments, then a muffled voice addressed her.

"There." Blufor spoke, his flashlight hovering over an unintended hole in the wall, leading through to what appeared to be the top of a storage room, or a warehouse. Surely enough, on what white-enamelled wall remained by the hole, another eye had been drawn.

"Let's go." He spoke.

Ellie moved up first, dropping down onto the tracks, heaving herself up onto the other platform and then warily making her way over to the orifice. She poked her flashlight through with one hand, and her Magnum through with the other, probing the area, checking for the infected that she was sure would be in here somewhere.

She was about to step in, when her foot found nothing and she reared back, gasping. Angling her flashlight downward, she saw the floor, a good two meters away from her.

"Shit." She swore through her panting, dizzy from the near-miss.

"You okay?" She heard Joel holler.

"Fine!" She replied, giving him some security. "Just be careful when you come through here; it's about a two meter drop."

"Right." Joel said, reaching her side, with Blufor following closely behind. "Want me to go first?"

"No." She said, shuffling towards the edge. "I got this."

She flew free from the edge, fell, and landed softly with a slight grunt on the concrete below.

"Shit... better make that three meters."

"You okay?"

"Yeah... yeah. Who's next?"

Blufor moved forward – the eyes of his gas mask reflected the light of her torch.

"I'm up." He spoke through the filters, his voice muffled and odd. He leapt down with surprising coordination, handling the fall much better than she had.

Joel followed suit quickly without speaking, landing slightly harder than Blufor, but dealing with the impact well.

In the guts of the storage room, she saw what it was for; on the towering metal shelves, paper boxes stood, each containing more paper – it was a filing room of sorts, apparently from something to do with the station, which she predicted to be travel plans or passenger information. Part of her was massively intrigued, and wanted to go through every record, just to read each of their names and think about who or what they might have been when they were alive.

At the end of the storeroom, around fifty meters of shelving away, there was another large hole in the wall, where the brickwork and the street above had given way decades ago. Sunlight poured in through the hole, and spores dispersed upwards, into the sky, their eerie yellow-green tinge polluting the sun's pristine colour.

Due to not finding anything of particular interest, they reached the opening in mere moments, pausing briefly to admire the DIY handiwork that Adam had set up to bridge the massive ravine the collapse had made.

The gorge created stretched down what appeared to be forever; there was nothing but blackness beneath them, with clouds of spores bubbling and rising out of the depths. She had no wish or inclination to find out what was down there.

Across the chasm lay an old ladder, which, when interlocked with another one, bridged the gap for a few meters, enough to gain access to another room which had also lost the majority of it's exterior walls. The bridge looked horrendously rickety, but recently made.

She looked for the tag she wanted, saw the eye drawn on a wall on the other side of the ladder-bridge, and began to carefully make her way across the makeshift traverse.

Deciding that standing up was too brave for her, she went down on all fours, and began moving across the rungs as the other two men approached behind her. To her surprise, neither of them had anything to say, nor any warnings to bestow to her. In some respects, that made her feel good; for once, no one was telling her what to do or treating her like a child.

Her stomach turned when she once made the mistake of looking down, only to be answered by the ladders creaking and her stomach turning again. She came to the centre of the bridge, very gently edged her weight across the rough joining, and once clear, picked up her pace again.

It took her another minute or so to reach the other side, where she placed her feet down on solid ground and heaved a sigh of relief. The men began their traverse, being much more careful about where they placed their centre of mass, carefully edging their ways across in succession. The whole escapade took the three of them almost twenty minutes and a few nasty scares kept the three on their toes.

With the gap traversed, they moved as a closely knit-bunch through the next room laid out before them. This one was different; it was a storeroom, like the previous one, but contained items of a more childish nature – toys, teddy bears and the like sat on shelves or in boxes, waiting for a day they'll be bought, which Ellie knew would now never come. She resisted the urge to pry for a toy bear, and moved at the front of the group, towards a set of double doors, lined with mahogany.

Her gloved hands gently pressed against the doors, and they slid easily open, their hinges remaining in good condition, being underground. The doors swung out in front of her, and the three moved silently into the store front, the still eyes of dolls and action figures watching the rugged survivors pass. The dim light of the shop cast an eerie feeling over the group, with so many eyes watching them moves towards the exit.

She remembered a nursery rhyme she knew from aeons in the past, and eagerly glanced around the store to see if she could sight the familiar title. Sure enough, the children's tale of the _Click Clack, along Daddy's Track _sat on a shelf amongst others, the cute and childish characters drawn in a friendly and cartoony fashion. She moved quietly off course, towards the nostalgic book, and chuckled lightly at seeing the little girl standing with her father in the cab of an old steam-train, loving each others company as they sailed blissfully down the tracks. She didn't open the small book, instead pocketing it, and moved back to where the men were standing.

The shutters of the shop were down, and had been for decades, concealing the light from the room. Another set of mahogany doors, more ornate this time, stood in front of them. She was about to move through them and part from the toy store when her foot caught on the stock of a weapon.

Adam's tattered and bandaged assault rifle sat next to her left foot, on the inside of the shop. She picked it up warily, noticing the safety being switched off, and showed the item to the other two men.

Blufor leaned inwards.

"Shit, he wouldn't just leave that around the place."

The squad-mate glanced at the doors. "He's got to be out there."

With great apprehension, she moved towards the mahogany doors, the ornate wood cool to the touch. The gently pressed them forwards, and instead of forcing them wide, simply squeezed herself through, gesturing silently to the men to do the same.

The light hit her immediately, temporarily blinding her as her eyes adjusted.

They came out into a shopping complex. The atrium was huge, and set into the floor, with an absolutely immense glass, picture roof standing at surface level, the skyscrapers and the morning sky visible through the ceiling. Some of it was pristine, while other segments hung shattered and totalled. There were walkways on either side, and one in the middle, perpendicular to the one she and the other men were standing on, bridging the gap between the two mezzanines.

It sagged somewhat in the middle, the wooden pillars having almost given way to damp and rot.

In the middle of the sag stood Adam, stock still, in a spread-out position, trying to evenly distribute his weight across the damaged walkway. It was obvious he wasn't comfortable there.

"Adam...?" Blufor asked quietly.

The Scotsman doubled around sharply and silently, not moving his feet, and pressing a finger to his lips. They all got the message and shut up pretty quickly.

Blufor mimed himself saying "What?", and Adam replied by simply pressing a finger to one ear and gesturing down to his right, to the atrium's floor.

She heard nothing at first. Then, as her ears strained, she heard heavy and huge footfalls, and a sickly, grotesque gurgling. The footsteps grew louder, as did the gurgling, accompanied by the occasional bestial growl. Blufor went to move forward, raising his rifle, only to be stopped by Adam, who told him not to use the gun with flailing gestures. He simply beckoned them over, and told them to be as quiet as possible.

She stepped forward, slowly, pacing herself, and making sure that every footfall she conducted was absolutely silent. She noticed the men behind her move with her, doing the same. They moved forward about ten feet before Adam halted them abruptly.

She could see into the floor of the atrium, here; sure enough, a monstrously big infected loomed into view, it's yellow-green and pulsing flesh horrifically visible in the light. It was different to the other behemoths she'd encountered, especially the one at the power plant, which she still had nightmares about, but it was obvious the beast was created through the same means.

That wasn't all. The beast was only exposing its front to them to begin with; she noticed it turn, and saw the red circle that had been carved into the hulk's back with a knife, a sharp line running perpendicular to the top.

So, Martyrdom were creating the beasts. Or at least using them. She wondered why, and glanced to Adam.

He, apparently reading her thoughts, shrugged, and whispered to them.

"I need to get back across." The beast didn't hear. "Okay?"

"Yeah." She spoke a little too loudly.

A growl followed, and the beast rounded. They stayed stock-still and silent for a moment, until it forgot about them and turned away, continuing to forage around the atrium floor.

"C'mon then, quick!" Ellie whispered more quietly, moving further forward, and reaching for the Scotsman.

He took one careful step towards them, then another, then a third.

His fourth step fell. The wooden planks in the platform creaked and strained, and one snapped with a loud split.

The beast turned again, confused. He stood there for another five seconds or so, staring right at them through eyes devoid of vision and obscured by a fungal plume.

The moment it turned away from them, Adam began edging forward again. He was a mere two meters away from them, now. He placed his foot gently forward, and then the other again, only to be answered with creaks from the walkway.

He miss-stepped the fourth time, and his left combat boot sank straight through a section of wooden flooring irrigated with damp and rot. He sank to thigh height, and fell on his side, hard.

The walkway shattered, and began falling away from the mezzanine the other three were standing on, crashing to the floor in a symphony of destruction.

"_Shit!"_ Adam screamed, almost falling with the walkway.

"_Adam!_"

Ellie lurched forward without thinking, and managed to grab Adam's right arm before he fell with the wood into the bottom of the atrium, meters below them. The weight of the Scotsman and his gear nearly pulled her over the edge with him, until she felt Joel's arms around one of her legs and Blufor's around her other, anchoring her to the floor.

The beast had the same idea with Adam.

It stormed through stalls and tables, and even and old escalator, raging toward the disturbance. It found Adam immediately, and with a hand twice the size of his, grabbed one of the Watcher's legs.

_"_Shit, _fuck!_" He swore, kicking and slamming the heel and toe of his free boot into the beast's nearby head, which was roaring and shouting the entire time. It came close to pulling Adam down to the depths, and would've succeeded had the other two men not anchored themselves into nearby handrail.

Ellie's joints screamed with pain as they were being stretched, and Adam screamed with equal gusto as the beast tugged on his leg. He managed to stop it from being torn off by relentlessly kicking the thing in the head, causing it to rear back slightly and loosen its grip slightly every now and again.

His eyes met hers, and for the first time, she saw pure fear in those emerald orbs. There were lines scored down his face, smudging the caked blood around his nose... had he been crying?

His facial expression changed from fear to realisation, and the suddenness surprised her. His eyes had been drawn to something on her chest...

She hadn't noticed her jacket had fallen open, revealing the gleaming pistol strapped to the inside.

Adam reached up quickly with his free hand, yanked the .44 Magnum out from its holster in her jacket, and aimed it at the beasts head.

He hit a point-blank head shot once, twice, three times, four, five and six, emptying the chamber into the behemoth's skull.

The beast roared in absolute agony, reared backward clutching its massively bleeding head, and relinquished its grip on Adam. He was heaved up almost immediately, over the splintered and sharp wood, onto the mezzanine where the others were. He gestured toward an escalator at the far end, and immediately broke into a sprint.

"Run!" He shouted.

Without question, she and the others sprinted after him.

"What about the rifle?" She asked him.

Blufor glanced at her in disbelief and they both glanced backward, to see the beast hauling itself onto the mezzanine to begin pursuing them.

"Fuck the rifle." Adam shouted. "Run!"

They did as bid, reaching the escalator in mere seconds and began scaling it multiple steps at a time, trying to ignore the lumbering tank rapidly pursuing them, and bursting back out into the street. They sprinted down the pavement and out into the road, passing buildings and shop-fronts where screeches and screams were now emanating from.

She didn't look back, but felt the presence of more infected piling out into the street behind them, joining the ranks alongside the brute in their wake.

"This," Adam began, "is why we live up in the fucking mountains."

They doubled around a corner, into another, longer street, increasing their pace, the horde of infected only meters behind them now. A chorus of ragged shrieks and bellows followed them, constantly growing, raising the hairs on the back of Ellie's neck and sending shivers through her veins.

The huge beast had lagged behind, but not out of lack of stamina; there was a dull grunt from behind, a few moments of silence, and then the husk of a car smashed down a few meters in front and to the left of them, crushing another completely under the force of the impact.

"Now it's _throwing shit at us?_" Ellie swore.

"Just keep running!" Adam shouted back, picking up the pace even further. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest – she was fit, but not on the immense scale of Adam or Blufor. She was keeping pace, but only just. Joel was running behind her, but she sensed that was more to keep her pace up than his need to slow down. He'd been playing this game a lot longer than she had.

They rounded another corner, ran a little more, and stopped dead in their tracks.

A road-block had been set up in front of them, in the middle of the street, with two vehicles and a dozen men, all armed to the teeth and formidable. One vehicle was a van, armoured and rusted, while the other was an SUV, with a massive, 50cal Machine turret mounted on the back, a splintered camouflage pattern marked across its bodywork.

The infected rounded the corner as well, and the man on the turret shouted.

Bullets began flying everywhere; at them, as well as the infected. Joel bowled into her side, picking her up under one arm and wheeling her towards the other two men, who were busy breaking through a door into an apartment building. The wood splintered and shattered under the force of one of Adam's kicks, and the four entered the building, bullets ricocheting around the frame and brickwork that were meant for them.

"This'll connect up to the other buildings in the street." Adam said, moving through and out the building into the alleyway behind. "If we can get around to them, we can get a vehicle."

"Did you see any markings?" Blufor asked.

She heard the din of the 50cal bursting into life, the sounds booming and immensely loud, even from this far away.

"No, I didn't." Adam replied. "Mercs?"

The began moving down the alleyway, in the direction of the road-block.

"Looks like it."

"Not friendly, though."

She heard the beast roar in fury, its call drowning out the din of Stalkers and Clickers, only to be answered by another burst from the enormous machine gun.

They ran forward another thirty meters, and on Adam's signal, sprinted out into the street, directly alongside the road-block. The men were taken completely by surprise, but reacted with hostility, resulting in Adam drawing the Magnum and shooting down the first two men he came across.

The armoured van was the closest vehicle to them, but Adam made straight for the turreted SUV, sprinting straight past Mercs that were far too preoccupied to see him as a concern.

"Adam, get back here! _Adam!"_ Blufor shouted, sprinting after him.

The mercenaries on the front line, driving the infected back, doubled around at the disturbance, and cut her and the others off from the Watcher.

Blufor and Joel moved forward to meet the resistance, with Blufor tackling the first man to the floor and viscously beating him while Joel rounded on the second man approaching and, by using him as a human shield, shot the other three still holding the front line. They fell to the floor with bullets in their backs, unaware they had been outflanked.

She sprinted over to the van, away from the fighting men, and tore open one of the doors, jumping swiftly into the cab. She drew her penknife and put it to the throat of the driver, pressing her to the seat.

The woman was young, only a few years her elder, and had the most beautiful grey-white eyes she'd ever seen. They were laced with fear.

"Get out!" She spoke. The woman didn't move.

"Now!" She shouted.

The woman piled out of the other door, Ellie keeping a firm grip on the cuff of her jacket, following her out.

Joel was already next to her, climbing into the truck and turning on the ignition, allowing the vehicle to roar into life.

Where was Adam?

She glanced over to the SUV, and saw him struggling with four different attackers at once. Two of them were the same size as he was, and the other two had managed to get a firm grip on him. She saw him being hit once, and again, and a third time, when his body went limp.

"Get in!" Joel shouted to her, the massive tidal wave of infected baring down on them as the defence crumbled.

"But, Adam-"

"_Get in!_"

She shovelled the driver around the back of the van, tore open the rear doors and threw her in, with little care for her safety, and jumped in after her. The truck began to turn, and she saw Blufor gain the advantage on a final foe and smack him savagely to the floor. Joel pulled up beside him.

"Blufor!" Ellie shouted, her arm extended out to him.

The squad-mate ignored her and bolted for the SUV, which was already starting up, the engine churning furiously. The machine-gunner lay dead in the turret, and the few survivors were already piling a severely injured and unconscious Adam into the back seat of the vehicle. The door shut behind the last Merc, and the SUV span around and began to pull away, with Blufor sprinting up the street after it. He was barely a meter from the back of the car when it sped up dramatically, and left him in the dust, wheeling around a corner and out of sight. He sprinted hopelessly for a few more meters, and then collapsed onto his knees.

"Goddamn it." Joel swore, wheeling the van around, the first of the faster infected slamming themselves up against the bonnet, screaming and yelping the entire time. The van turned to face the wave, and one nearly jumped in, only to be met with Ellie's switchblade through its skull. The limp corpse fell out of the van and was lost into the massive swarm of infected.

They pulled up next to Blufor, who deftly jumped in to the back, and then fell onto the floor, panting wildly.

She shut the van doors, closing herself and the other two off from the hellish horde behind them as it sped away.

They'd taken Adam.

She glanced at the woman who had been the original driver of the van, who was now sitting against the back wall, her knees drawn up to her head. Blonde hair fell in well-groomed locks around her head, and those white-grey eyes stared back at her.

If anyone knew where they'd be taking Adam, she did.

The steady sounds of the van's accelerating engine began to drown out the horrific chorus they'd left behind.


	17. Chapter 17 - The Eagle's Nest - V

"Joel, drive!"

"I am!"

"_Faster!"_

She heard the unnatural grunt moments before she saw the red-rusted car soar into the air and crash into the building to their left, completely tearing through the face of the housing and sending fractured masonry careering into the road in front of them.

_"__Fuck!" _She heard herself scream.

"Relax!" Joel countered.

She felt her body spin around, an otherworldly experience when the mind is swimming in a hormone and the body acts seemingly of its own accord. She felt herself stand, and for once, not experience the feeling of unbalance despite the van swerving unexpectedly to avoid countless obstacles. It was fight or flight, and she knew she was more than ready to put a third of the horrific behemoths down.

Almost as soon as she had stood, her eyes detected movement, and saw a huge and lumbering shape burst through an eighteen-wheeler down the street and emerge from the other side. Her ears squirmed as a gut-wrenching screech pierced them and penetrated her body, as she felt the all too familiar caress of fear wash over her.

She saw it plough forward, its horrendous bulk seemingly unaffected by physics and it still maintaining inhuman speed. The mammoth infected was slowly falling behind them, as the heavily steel-plated van barraged along the street, its engine stuttering and struggling underneath the weight of the armour on its sides and the freight in its back.

She felt a jolt, and added fear as death passed closely by her and she almost fell out of the open back of the van, as the strengthened vehicle careered directly into a decrepit car and tore straight through the middle.

She experienced the same feeling as she was suddenly yanked backwards by a large, immensely strong hand, and she felt herself being slammed into the floor. She had expected to feel immense pain at the impact, but was left with a dull confusion as her brain refused to compute the fall and instead remained transfixed on the pursuing giant, adrenaline clouding the areas of her vision that weren't vital to her survival.

She remained laying down, and yanked her head up sharply to see Blufor standing in front of her, his legs splayed and the assault rifle he was holding firing, the pops of the gun dull against her eardrums. She made her eyes focus downrange, and compensate for the swerve of the van, to observe the plumes of yellow-stained crimson blood exploding out of the front of the beast. She knew, despite trying to convince herself otherwise, that the peppering of the gun would only enrage it further – such was so in the evidence of its head, what remained destroyed by Adam's revolver. The beast was still alive and she hadn't gotten the gun back.

It was lost, just as he was.

She became aware of her mind scrapping those thoughts and emotions, and bringing the ones that were more vital to her primary attention. She saw the assault rifle loose another volley, hearing the sounds explode dully in her ears. She saw the beast rear, pause, and then begin its pursuit again. Even if it wasn't dead, they had gained another ten meters distance away from it.

Then, she heard a mechanical sputtering and a muffled curse that could only mean one thing.

She felt friction grip the vain, and heard a shrieking screech as the axles of the van stopped turning, ran on momentum, and then drew to a halt.

"Shit." Blufor cursed, loading another magazine into the assault rifle.

"Why have we stopped?" The blonde-haired girl in the back of the van piped up.

"Good question!" Blufor shouted over his shoulder, not giving the girl the courtesy of turning around. Ellie ignored her completely.

She saw a car fly to the right and crash into an old butchery, swatted out of the way like a child's toy as the huge beast hurtled towards them, screaming the entire time, the noise gurgling out of it's destroyed throat.

"Guys...?" The girl said again, more quietly, fear evident in her voice.

"Joel?" Ellie shouted, not in any particular direction.

"Fuck, stupid fucking thing," she heard from the drivers cab. "C'mon goddamnit!"

She saw another car fly, then a second, then a third. The beast continued speeding down the street toward them, the screeching and shouting getting louder with every passing second. It got so close that she could see the thick, black holes in the mess that was its skull signifying .44 rounds, the orifices staring back at her. She felt her hands tighten as if she were bracing the hilt of the Magnum, but only found thin air. Fear gripped her like a vice for the first time in a long while.

The engine fluttered as it tried to start, but the van remained still.

"Joel?" This time, it was Blufor who raised his voice.

The beast was at most twenty meters away from them.

"Goddamnit!" She heard Joel shout, accompanied by the muffled thwacks of his hands hitting the dashboard. "Shit, shit, shit!" She heard again, with consecutive fist-falls on the plastic surface.

"_Joel!_" Blufor screamed, raising the assault rifle. She could barely hear his cry over the din of the behemoth as it approached.

"Fucking drive!" Joel screamed, his voice louder than she'd ever heard it. She heard him hit the dashboard again.

She heard the engine strain again, and then sputter into life. The van kicked immediately into third and was suddenly moving, and she slipped another foot towards the open doors. She saw Blufor stumble, but retain his balance.

The beast was right upon them. She could smell its stench, feel the heat and rage in it as it ran after them. It lunged towards them, launched itself off of the asphalt, and she was suddenly barraged by sunlight as a huge and grotesque hand tore through the side of the van, ripping the roof and the majority of the right wall away from the rest of the vehicle.

Blufor had hit the deck, and luckily avoided the torn-steel blades as they had sliced through the air above him and were ripped away from the body of the van. She diverted her attention from him to the beast, who had landed hard into the road, and was now returning to its feet and beginning the pursuit again.

She heard the van struggle and screech, its engine whining under the strain and its speed remaining steady. She knew that it wasn't fast enough to outrun the behemoth.

It had bared down on them again, and was quickly making up the distance between them.

She felt the engine rear and heard the axles cry in pain as Joel threw the van around a right-hand turn, temporarily throwing the beast's composure and forcing it to pause and regain its bearings. She saw it swerve behind them, uproot a traffic light from the ground and hurl it their way. She ducked, and it flew over her head, smashing into the cab of the van and spiralling into the street.

The beast was mere feet away from them now. Blufor scrabbled for the assault rifle in front of him, took hold of the gun, and threw himself backwards to land beside her. She saw his raise the weapon, and aim at the beast. It leaped again, the din of its roars and those of the engine creating a queer and eerie symphony as it flew towards them, almost in slow motion.

She heard a dull pop emanate from behind her, and briefly witnessed a peculiar green object pass far too closely to her head and strike the beast centre-mass. Her ears were almost blown out as the object exploded, showering the beast in fire and them in burnt blood. The huge corpse fell like dead-weight to the floor, burning and smouldering, silent. They pulled away slowly, and left it in the dust and ash.

She sat there for a moment in disbelief, and then turned her head around.

The blonde girl sat there, shivering, a large metal tube with a trigger lying over her shoulder. Ellie glanced to the girl's right, and saw three more woodland-green objects lying on the floor of the truck, next to her. She noticed yellow writing on the side of them. The dutiful figures read 'RPG-7V2'.

Her eyes met the girl's pristine grey-white ones again. Neither of them said anything.

She registered Blufor standing behind her, and saw him move towards the cab in her peripheral. She heard three dull knocks on what metal remained, and noted a small door slide open.

"Tango down." Blufor spoke into the hole. "Drive a bit further and pull the truck up somewhere."

She heard Joel reply, but couldn't discern the words. It must've been enough for Blufor, though – he moved away from the cab, and the door slid shut. She saw him lean his back on what exterior wall remained, and slide down it until he was sitting. His head hung low, between his knees, his expression concealed by the earth-brown beard that was slowly getting longer.

She sat where she was, leaning on her hands and her backpack, and gazed up at the sky – it was mid afternoon, and bright white clouds spiralled elegantly in the blueness above. Part of her loved the sky, and was immensely grateful that it had been the one thing unaffected by the apocalypse; it provided a beautiful reprieve in a very ugly world.

"You seen one of those before?" The girl asked, shattering her idyllic thoughts and frustrating her slightly.

"Yeah." Ellie replied curtly. "Two. Why?"

"No reason." The girl answered, and then looked away.

She sat there for a moment in silence, and then her typical curiosity overpowered the fatigue left after coming down off of an adrenaline rush.

"What's that?" She gestured to the tube the girl was holding. "What did you kill it with?"

"RPG-7V2." The girl replied idly.

"I don't have a damn clue what that means."

"It's a rocket launcher."

Ellie cracked a grin. "Shit, a real rocket launcher?"

"Yeah."

"Fucking. Awesome."

This time, the girl smiled. Her teeth were almost as white as her eyes, and almost as perfect. She glanced down at the floor briefly, chuckled, and then met Ellie's gaze again.

"What's your name?" She asked courteously, those stunning eyes looking her over.

"Ellie." She replied, saying only what she needed to say. She felt a strange yet pleasant feeling rise in her gut. "What about you?"

"My friends call me Rider."

The statement took Ellie somewhat by surprise.

"Ain't that... a boy's name?"

"Yeah." The girl replied, shifting the RPG from her shoulder to her arms. "They say I'm a bit of a tomboy."

"Why do they say that?" Eliie asked, probing for information.

The girl chuckled, her silver eyes lighting up.

"I don't look like the kinda girl whose into pink frilly dresses and dolls, do I?"

Ellie chuckled in reply.

"No, you don't." She admitted. "I hate that shit too, don't worry."

"Of course you do." Rider replied. "Why else would you be travelling with guys like him?" She gestured to Blufor, who said nothing, and kept his head staring wearily at the floor of the van at it sputtered along.

"Anyway." She heard Rider begin again, continuing the conversation. "You said you'd seen two of those things before?"

"Yeah." Ellie replied, shuddering at the memories she possessed of the beasts. "Both at a power plant a ways away from here. One of them... almost got me."

"Shit, yeah." Rider continued. "You gotta be careful with those things. Big bastards are as tough as nails and a lot deadlier."

Ellie made herself glance at Blufor, who met her eyes with a knowing expression and nodded, but didn't speak.

"You're right." She replied to Rider. "Bullets don't seem to do shit to them."

"Nope." Rider answered, and gestured with the RPG tube. "You need something a lot bigger than 7.62 to take one of those out. Something anti-personnel would do the trick. Or fire. Fire kills most things."

"That's how we got the second one." Ellie admitted. Upon a new train of thought, she asked:

"You know where they came from?"

She saw Rider shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine. Truth is, we don't have any idea. Our guys have taken to calling them a lot of names, but Titans are the most popular. They're the main reason we're here."

"That doesn't seem like a good reason to go somewhere."

"It's not, but where there are Titans, there are red-rings."

Ellie squirmed at the thought of Pyotr's cult, and of the man himself. If the Mercs Rider was with were after them too, they may have enough common ground to get Adam back...

… or not. She lost all hope when her mind replayed the images of Adam, Joel and Blufor efficiently slaughtering the men at the road-block.

She hadn't even thought to apologise about killing all of Rider's friends.

"You and your guys are after the red-rings too? Holy fuck, your guys... we killed them, or most of them." She felt tears welling in her eyes, and forced them back. "I'm so sorry."

She heard Rider huff, and watched her as she broke her gaze away from Ellie and moved it to the floor.

"Don't be." She replied. "I'll admit, they didn't deserve to die, but they were all jackasses... they walked out when Rat had tried to change things, claiming that they didn't approve and that Rat was full of shit. Jack - my boyfriend that is - just took me with him when they decided to leave. I don't know if he made it. Not sure I care."

Ellie's heart dropped at the thought that she was responsible for separating the pair, as well as perhaps indirectly responsible for Rider's boyfriend's death.

Part of her felt another feeling as well – was it jealousy?

She heard Blufor pipe up.

"Whose this 'Rat'?" He asked, his voice quiet and tired, but still carrying its usual to-the-point conviction.

"Our leader." Rider replied. "Well... our leader at the moment, anyway. Our real leader, Dove, was captured by the red-rings a few days back. We don't know what's become of her."

Ellie directed her attention to Blufor.

"There's our common enemy."

She saw him nod in response.

"I agree." He spoke. "How was she captured?" He asked Rider.

"Red-rings ambushed her and a larger group of ours on a supply run. We got a few bases around the city, but our largest one is in the hospital on 27th. A lot of men need a lot of food. We didn't get our shipment that day – a lot of people went without dinner."

"Is Rat planning a counter-attack?"

"He'd love to." Rider responded, laying the rocket tube down on the floor of the truck and rustling her blonde locks as she did so. "But he doesn't have the faintest idea where they are."

She saw Blufor's body heave with exasperation and return to a slump.

"There goes that, then."

"Yeah." Rider replied. "Sorry."

Ellie still wasn't satisfied with the conversation. If she got the right information, she was adamant that she could save both Adam and Amber in one fell swoop.

"How many of them are here?"

Rider met her gaze.

"Four." She spoke. "Four of them."

She saw Blufor's head dart up again, and a bewildered expression plaster his rugged, chiselled face.

"Four, seriously? You can't handle four guys?"

"Trust me... they're _not_ your usual guys. All of them are trained. All of them are merciless. All of them are fucking crazy."

"Who are they?" Ellie inquired.

"One of Pyotr's best squads. There were five to begin with – they had captured Dove initially, before she came to us. Dove killed the fifth, got free, and had been with us for a month or so before they got the drop on her again."

"I mean, who are the people?"

"Oh." Rider replied, drawing in a deep breath and scraping the dirt out from beneath her nails. "Well... I only know so much, you see. Talk amongst the field guys, mainly. Three men and one woman, I've heard. The woman is some shaved-head racist type, Caucasian of course, but aside from that, I don't know anything. Their leader is a guy named Happy Sal, but he's the type to skin people and leave them out for the infected. I only know that, because he did the very same to Rat. There's a big guy, who I don't know anything about, and no one'sseen him for a while, so who knows what's going on there."

"And the fourth guy?" Blufor asked.

"Scariest fucker of them all. They call him Ghost – he's an assassin, apparently. I saw him once. He wears a burlap sack with a skull on it and never talks, only stands there. He's killed more of our guys than any of them, and we never know he's done it until we find the corpse days later."

"Sounds like a fucking nightmare." Ellie admitted, her thoughts trying to envisage what Ghost's face would look like beneath the sack.

"It is." Rider replied.

The conversation died at that, and the three sat in silence in the ruined back of the van for a while, as they trundled past countless run-down storefronts and office complexes.

She was still baffled by the city that they were in – now, like when they first got here, there was not a single infected in sight, and it may as well have been as if the city had been constructed and no-one had ever lived in it; there weren't even any cars where they were now, they had all been congested along the main highway, presumably where they had been left as the citizens had fled the city.

She tried to imagine what her life would be like if she had been born and died before all of this had happened – she would have a lived a routine life, woken up every morning at 7am, groggily scoffed cereal, kissed her parents good-bye and headed to school amongst other kids her age, with the most intense of pressures being her homework assignment or that boy from 12th grade that she couldn't stop looking at. She would've gone on a date with him, gotten married, had children, and have passed away in her death bed with her family at her side, without a care in the world.

However she approached it, it always seemed forced. Fake. Like imagining yourself as a character in a movie or a book. Instead of living a normal life, she was stuck in this horrific dystopia... she certainly didn't like it, but she was more than used to running a lot and not eating very often.

The thing that broke her heart the most was the people – not them dying, nor the violence, but how they treated one another – in times like these, she believed that everyone should be working together to make something new, something beautiful... instead, there were always arguments, and betrayals, and murders.

She didn't think that Rider would be one of those people, though. Sure, she was rugged, and a little curt, but everyone was nowadays. The sentimental and soft people weren't the ones who survived, especially not for as long as she and Joel had. All she was looking for were people who were decent human beings, and not the savage animals that a lot of other had seemingly degenerated into.

She gazed up at the sky again, the blue cutting swathes through the tops of the apartment buildings and high-rises. They were drawing out of the central city now, and into the housing estates.

She found herself glancing at Rider more than once during the journey. They met eyes once, and she looked away sharply, that weird feeling rising in her gut again.

A short while after, she felt elation at the sight of green, as the van pulled into a large, overgrown park, and came to a sudden halt. The engine wheezed, coughed, and died. She heard a door open, and a few moments later, saw Joel round the side of the van and jump into the back. She was about to greet him, but was cut off as his body embraced her and held her tightly.

"Thank God you're alright." He said, his voice muffled against her jacket. "We ain't never getting into a shave that close again, mark my words."

She felt him draw back from the embrace, and watched him turn to Blufor.

"Thanks, for keeping her safe."

"Don't mention it." The squad-mate replied, a genuine tone of gratitude in his voice, and a pinch of pleasant surprise.

"Nice spot." Blufor spoke.

"Better than most, yeah." Joel agreed. "The van's kaput. We ain't going anywhere with that thing – hell, I don't even know if I'd want to."

"I sure don't." Rider commented from the back.

Ellie saw Joel turn around, and that characteristic suspicious expression distort his face and stare at Rider.

"And who might you be?"

"That's Rider." Ellie spoke, quickly trying to dissuade Joel's suspicions. "She's cool. She killed that Titan with an RPG."

She heard Joel huff sarcastically.

"So, what? We're calling 'em Titans now?"

Blufor grunted and stood in her peripheral.

"I'll admit," He began, "It does have a ring to it."

The squad-mate hopped down from the van, prepped his rifle, and began moving off.

"It ain't our main concern at the moment."

"No, I agree." Blufor said, raising his hands. "Our main concern is to get Adam back and-"

"Now wait just a goddamn minute." Joel interjected. "He behaved like jackass and got himself captured. That's _his _fault. Ellie and I have one main concern, and that is to _leave._"

She saw Blufor round on Joel, suddenly angry, and speak straight into his face.

"_Leave?"_ He began. "He saved your goddamn life, and when he's in trouble, you're just gonna _leave?_"

"He almost killed me. Don't you try to deny that."

"I'm not going to. I agree, his behavior has been... different, recently. Angrier." Blufor sighed. "But it's beside the point. He needs rescuing, and so does Amber. We're not _leaving_ until we have both of them. Understood?"

Joel moved further toward Blufor.

"You think you got a shit tonne of brains, don't you, son?"

"More than you."

"_You're putting Ellie at risk!_" Joel shouted in his face. "You're putting her at risk for him, and its goddamn selfish. I won't have it."

She watched Blufor stand there in silence for a few moments. He said nothing, and moved away, collecting the assault rifle as he walked, and strode off into the bushes.

"I'm on reconnaissance." He said as he slipped behind shrubs and vanished from view. She saw Joel move off in the opposite direction, back toward the gate of the park, and lean up against a crumbling stone pillar, gazing out into the street.

She sat back down, and slumped in defeat.

"Shit..."

"Hey." Rider spoke gently from behind her. "Don't be sad. Men fight like that all the time. It's no sweat."

"Yeah, but... they're fighting more than usual. We lost one of our guys at your road-block, your guys took him."

"The huge ginger guy? Yeah, I saw."

"I don't have any idea how we're gonna get him back without getting killed."

"Listen..." Rider began. "It might be a gamble, but... there's a chance they took him back to Rat." She saw Rider pull a small, black walkie-talkie out of her jacket pocket. "I can try to raise him on the radio."

"Thanks." Ellie spoke, accepting the offer. She gestured behind herself, toward Joel. "I better go see if he's alright."

"Okay." Rider smiled warmly at her. "I'll let you know if I have any luck."

Ellie moved towards the edge of the van's bed, and hopped down onto the grass, the hard soil below jarring her feet slightly. She made herself walk quickly, towards the gate, with urgency in her steps. She reached Joel in moments, and stood beside him, in silence. After a few moments, she weaved her arm through his and around his back, and hugged him.

He huffed gently, almost happily.

"And what's that for?" She heard him say.

"Looking out for me." She replied. "I've never had anyone who's cared about me so much."

She thought she saw him smile slightly through his ragged beard.

"In a world like this, the word 'care' ain't used too often, but... yeah, I do. You got a future, unlike me, or Blufor, or Adam, it... it ain't right to have gotten you mixed up in all this. War is for old men, and it don't matter when they die."

She felt him ruffle her hair.

"You, though, you do matter. You're gonna have a life, maybe even kids, and you ain't gonna die in some city to no infected or no red-rings... I'm gonna make damn sure of that."

"Thanks Joel." She muttered appreciatively, just enjoying the feeling of his embrace.

"Don't sweat it." He replied.

"I... I love you." She heard herself say. The words sounded good in her head, but she almost winced at how stupid they sounded spoken.

Joel paused for a moment, then replied.

"I love you too, kiddo." He looked at her, and smiled warmly, the lines on his face temporarily changing to those of genuine happiness.

"Ellie!" She heard Rider shout from behind. "Ellie, get the guys, I got something!"

"Let's go." She spoke softly to Joel, who followed directly in her wake back over to the van. She deftly hopped up onto the bed, helped Joel onto it as well, and moved over to where Rider was sitting, the radio nestled in her hand and crackling. Moments later, she saw Blufor appear around the other side of the van.

"We're clear here." He spoke. "What've you got?"

"The signal is bad," Rider admitted, "but I think I raised Rat."

She saw the blonde-haired girl draw the radio to her ear, press a button on the side of the device and speak into it.

"Rider to Rat, Rider to Rat, Two-Four. Come in Rat. Rat?"

The radio fizzled and crackled. She winced at the loud pop it made as it peaked, and saw Rider quickly draw it away from her ear.

"C'mon, stupid fucking thing. Rat, you there?"

"_Rider, that you?" _A voice spoke. "_Shit, I was hoping you'd be okay."_

"I'm fine." Rider replied, into the device. "I'm with some new people, they just got here. I got separated from Jack, we got caught up in a road-block he tried to set up."

"_I know." _The voice on the radio replied. "_His sorry ass crawled its way back here about an hour ago. Said you were hit by infected and red-rings."_

_"_Negative on the red-rings, Rat." She saw Rider pause for a moment. "They didn't bring a prisoner back with them, did they?"

"_Yeah, they did. Didn't know who he was, so I let them have him. I told them to keep him alive, but I don't know what they'll have done to him."_

She witnessed Rider tense as she realised who their prisoner was.

"He's a friend of the people I'm with, and he can help you find Dove. Tell them to let him go."

"_All right, I'll get on it. Where are you?"_

_"_West side of town, I think. Residential area."

_"__Okay. Can you get to the Hospital Base? It should only be a few miles. I'll meet you there." _

"Can do."

_"__All right. Just be careful making your way over here, the city's been more active than usual. We don't know if we're gonna-" _

She heard the radio peak, and winced at the loud burst of static that followed it.

"Rat?" Rider spoke. "Rat, are you there? Rat?"

"_Rider!"_ The radio replied, crackling. _"__We're under - don't come here, they're – it's not safe, I won't risk – shit -"_

She sat there for a moment as the radio died and returned to silence.

"I've lost him." Rider spoke.

"That sure didn't sound good." She felt Blufor didn't need to add such an obvious comment.

"Shit!" The blonde-haired girl swore under her breath.

"The hospital?" She heard Joel forcefully inquire, the focused survivor re-appearing.

"Yeah, our main base." Rider offered. "It's over in Pinewood Parade, where all the rich types used to live. A lot of shit's been going on there recently, though."

"What do you mean?"

"The subway comes up a couple blocks from it. Weird shit started pouring out of there a while ago. Titans, and others."

"Yeah." Joel admitted. "That's where we found our one."

"I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not too keen to see one again." Ellie spoke, not to anyone in particular.

"Don't worry. The hospital building itself isn't that defensible, but the catacombs beneath are practically impenetrable. Rat will meet us there, and we'll decide what to do afterward."

"Save Adam." Blufor offered.

She turned to Joel to see him grimace slightly, turning the prospect over in his mind. She saw him heave, and heard him sigh loudly.

"Joel." She spoke. "Please."

He stood there in silence for a moment, looking her over with some degree of displeasure.

"Fine." He said bluntly, picking up a rusted, red fire axe from the back of the van. "Best we get moving before it gets dark." He turned to Rider. "Which way?"

She saw the blonde girl gesture forward, vaguely down the main street.

"The main road takes us across the canal. The hospital is on the other side, a couple of blocks away."

"Well, Ol' Rustbucket isn't going anywhere." Blufor slapped the rump of the heavily damaged van. "I got point."

She let the squad-mate pass, his huge and thickly muscled arms cradling the assault rifle that was smaller than most – it was an unusual design, and also oddly clean – the magazine sat behind the trigger, and when she saw Blufor slide the bolt back to load one in, it slid back swiftly and with ease, and didn't jam like Adam's old one had, nor like the ones they'd acquired from the Eagle's Nest. She started to sense there was some form of contraband going on with the Mercs – they had a heavy and modern armament.

That in itself frightened her. The Mercs had the most advanced equipment she'd ever seen – more so than the Military down south - and they were losing.

She had been so enthralled in her thoughts that she hadn't paid attention to their surroundings; they had exited the park, leaving the van to be overgrown by foliage, and moved into the street – the city here was eerie, and unusual. Where in most places you saw destruction and dilapidation, everything in her vision was almost pristine. The houses stood, whilst damp and rotting slightly, in their completion; there was a complete absence of cars, and no debris on the roadway – there was nothing out of place at all, apart from the absence of human life.

She found her thoughts drifting back to Evelynn. By her counting, it had been almost a week since they'd left her behind. It was probably more than that, she knew. Whether the black-haired scientist had survived this long on her own or whether she had been slaughtered by red-rings... she didn't know. The not-knowing was what was eating away at her insides. She felt she could empathize with Adam on that front.

She had chosen to walk in the rear, behind the others; they had passed and intersection and headed straight, avoiding the housing entirely and walking in the centre of the street. The sun was still present, but the day had grown cooler. It was pleasant now, where it had been unusually hot before. The light descended from the sky and painted odd shadows along the cracked asphalt of the road.

She found herself looking at Rider again. The girl wasn't much older than her – a few years her elder – around eighteen or nineteen, perhaps. As she watched her walk, she saw the youth in her step and the energy that she carried despite the depressing life she knew she led. Where the men were beginning to hunch over from exhaustion or fear or both, she stood tall, the sun reflecting off of her yellow-blond hair, which fell in swathes down to her lower back. Her body was strong, and her hips wide and well-curved – despite her insisting she didn't do much field work, Ellie had no doubt she was misleading them. One didn't get a physique like that from scrubbing clothes or cooking. Whenever Ellie noticed that about her, it made her feel funny again.

She made herself focus on more important things.

They peeled left, down a side street, and after a few moments, emerged onto a street much larger than the one they had started on. It had four huge lanes on either side, the white paint that separated them faded and cracked, but still visible. She marvelled at the thought of it being packed with gleaming, rumbling cars, filled with ordinary people on the way to ordinary places.

She glanced around the neighbourhood, continuing to soak in the ambience of the area.

"Oh, shit..." The comment from Rider pulled her straight out of her sight-seeing.

Ellie walked swiftly up to where the teen had collapsed onto her knees, and stood closely to her.

"What's up?" She asked casually.

Joel had arrived next to her.

"Not the bridge." He pointed forwards to the large structure spanning the water. "Look."

Sure enough, the entire centre of the bridge had collapsed, and the concrete fallen away into the canal – steel girders remained bridging the gap, but they were brown with rust, and looked as if they would splinter under the tiniest weight.

"We sure as hell aren't going that way." She heard Joel utter quietly.

She stood there for a few moments alongside the other two, probing for any other means to cross the canal. She thought of building a raft, but dismissed the idea when she noticed the sheer concrete walls that descended downwards and separated the housing from the water.

Blufor finally arrived next to them.

"I hate to be the one to point this out, but..."

She saw him direct his gun-barrel toward a staircase in the side of the street, that descended downwards. Above it was a sign that read '_Platinum Heights Station.'_

"There's always the subway."

She felt Rider sigh and heard Joel mouth 'goddamnit' under his breath.

"It doesn't look like we have another option." Rider admitted to the other three. "It's getting dark, and if we're underground, we should be safer."

She saw Joel turn to the eighteen year old.

"Should be?"

"When I say should, I mean there will probably be less infected down there than up here. Maybe."

The old man sighed. "I hate cities."

They stood there together, no one wanting to take point.

Eventually Joel gave in.

"Ugh, fine... c'mon." He gestured to the others. "The sooner begun the sooner done."

They motioned towards the staircase, which was much like the one they had entered earlier that day – it descended downward one flight into a dark and obscured station, of which plumes of yellow-green spores emanated out from within.

She moved forward first, drawing her penknife and placing her right foot gently on the first step. She heard the plastic rustling as Blufor drew his mask over his head, and noticed shortly afterward that Rider had done the same.

While Blufor's mask concealed his face entirely save two eye-holes, Rider's mask was a front-panel perspex with a filter attached to the bottom. Her nose and mouth were obscured, but her vivid eyes were still very visible through the protective plastic.

They wore an expression of surprise.

"Don't you two need masks as well?" She inquired.

"Long story." Joel uttered, breathing deeply and beginning to move down the stairs into the abyss. "Tell you later."

Ellie followed closely behind Joel, her heart rising high in her throat as her pupils dilated to take in as much light as possible. A beam of fluorescent, white light cut through the air beside her, and Blufor's flash light combed the room for anything of suspicion.

The station here was much larger than the other one – it didn't cater particularly to grandiose as she expected Pinewood Parade's would, but it was larger and somewhat airier than the one they had entered in the business district. Large, marbled pillars came into her view, supporting the roof as they had been for untold decades. The tracks lay just to their right, rusted and splintering, but steadfast. There were two lines here, and they both moved off into a large, black hole in the wall a ways ahead. Blufor's flash light couldn't even begin to penetrate the dark of the tunnel.

She thought she saw someone.

"Who's there?" She asked to the darkness.

Joel looked at her inquisitively.

"There ain't no one there." He spoke.

She dismissed the thought as impossible.

She observed what she could of the station in greater detail – there was nothing particularly interesting about this place, other than its size – there were a few shops along the sides of either platform with their wares still sitting lifelessly on the shelves, never to be bought. The toilet complex nearby had plants growing out from under the damp-ridden door, and she gagged at the thought of what might lay within.

"Found something." Blufor hollered from behind her.

She reconvened with the others, and they crowded around a framed picture on the wall, shrouded in a thick and dense layer of dust. She saw Blufor's gloved hand scrape over the glass, wiping away the filth and revealing the picture underneath.

"A map." She said.

"Yeah." Rider responded. "A subway map. Shows us where we are in accordance to the other stations."

She gestured to the largest of the red dots connected by thin black lines.

"We're here." She spoke. "Platinum Heights. Pinewood Parade is the largest station in the city, here."

She watched as Rider traced her finger along a line, through another dot, and rested on a third.

"It's not the deepest, though, so we should be okay."

"Why does depth matter?" Blufor asked.

"The two deepest stations lie under the prison and the University. We don't know for sure, but we think that's where all the shit is seeping from."

"Avoid Prison and University." Joel spoke. "Got it."

Rider turned, and raised her right hand towards the tunnel.

"Shall we?"

Ellie took point this time, and with apprehension rising in her gut, made her way towards the orifice. It opened up before her, and in moments she was completely enthralled in darkness, spare the one ray of light that came from the torch on the underside of Blufor's gun.

As they left the station, she thought she sensed movement behind her.

"You okay?" Rider asked through her mask, her voice muffled.

"Yeah." She shivered all over. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Conversation slowly gave way to tension. They walked for what seemed like an age in dead silence, the sounds of footfalls and masked breathing being the only things audible. She tried to identify the footsteps as she walked along... there were hers, of course. Rider's were soft and swift, and steadily paced. She heard heavier ones, and tied them to Joel, and noticed after listening for a while that Blufor had a bad habit of dragging his feet when he walked. Every now and again, she heard an off-step that didn't match any of them.

Relief washed over her as they emerged into the next station. This one was as minimalist as the business district, albeit much more dilapidated. They entered the station and jumped onto the left-hand platform, and began looking around. She turned to her right, and noticed a large crack that split the entirety of the right-hand wall, with scattered marble and tiles strewn all over the floor.

Without thinking, she took Blufor's flashlight from the underside of his gun with a dull click, and shone it straight into the crevice.

She saw the plumes of fungus just before the screeching started, and damp footsteps echoed throughout the station. Her heart dropped in realization.

"Shit!" She heard shouted from behind her.

"_Stalkers!" _Blufor shouted as well, his assault rifle firing providing even more noise in the confined space.

She swivelled around as quickly as she could, and jumped back up onto the platform where the two men were. She felt a grotesque hand clamp around her calf, and she replied by doubling back and sending her penknife straight through the top of the infected's scalp. It tumbled away, onto the tracks.

Rider wasn't with her.

She hurriedly looked around the station, past the dozen or so infected being shot down, trying to find her friend. She angled the flash light around the other platform, and found Rider, pinned and struggling. Without thinking, her legs threw her down into the tracks and her body heaved her onto the other platform.

"_Ellie!" _She heard shouted from behind her. The word fell deaf on her ears.

She sped across the platform, narrowly missing the infected still sprawling out of the gap, and threw the force of her body into the one pinning Rider, knocking it off and landing on top of it. It stunk and shrieked as she stabbed it once, and again, and again until it lay still.

"Thanks." Rider spoke as she rose, out of breath from the brawl.

"No problem." She countered, moving to help the girl up.

The volume of the shrieking doubled in size, and she became aware of infected pouring out of the tunnel they had come from as well as the crevice in the wall. She heard the peppering of gunfire, the wet slicing of an axe, and the shout of men. There was a sea of walking corpses separating her and Rider from the men.

"Ellie!" She heard Blufor shout between assault rifle bursts. "Go, go now!"

She didn't want to. Every muscle in her body wanted her to return and protect Joel.

A massive roar sounded in the Platinum Heights station, echoing down the tunnel to where they stood.

"_Run, dammit!" _Blufor screamed at her.

She didn't need to be told again. Her legs obeyed her, and she slipped her arm into Rider's in a swift movement and jumped into the tracks with the older girl. They ran as fast as they could, away from the melee, into the orifice laid in front of them.

They weren't the only ones who did.

For the whole time, she heard screeches and yelps behind her, accompanying her and Rider as they fled. Emotions raged inside of her, all contributing to the massive wad of fear that was residing in her gut. They had just left Joel and Blufor behind...

She realised they had drawn too far away from the station to hear the gunshots of Blufor's rifle. Either that, or he had stopped shooting.

Her legs ached and strained, her knees cried out in pain and her heart beat ferociously in her chest, but she refused to stop for her own benefit nor for Rider's. She breathed so heavily she was light headed, and could tell as much from the elder girl as the filters on her mask heaved with the extra effort. She heard breathing from behind her as well... steady, but measured. The breaths of another human, not an infected. She hoped that maybe Joel or Blufor had caught up with them.

They ran together in the darkness, tripping over washers and planks on the floor of the track. Once, Rider went down completely, and they wasted valuable seconds getting her back on her feet and to a swifter speed. She could feel death bearing down on her from behind, accompanied by the shrill cries of the infected that followed them.

They burst into Pinewood Parade station, panting and exhausted. She could feel the enormity of the place around her, but had no time to sit and enjoy the architecture. She gathered Rider in her arms, and pushed the elder girl up onto the left platform.

There was a staircase not too far away from them, leading upwards... she could see the last light of day.

She motioned towards the exit, trying to speed the limping girl along, when a collection of infected crashed into them, screaming. One clawed and clawed at her, and she was forced backwards by it, into the wall. It spat and squelched in her face, its rotten teeth drawing close to her, each gnash barely missing her neck.

An unusual, silver, arrow-like projectile burst through the infected's deformed face, coming to a stop just before her nose. The beast collapsed to the floor.

She saw another silver dart fly from the distance, finding its mark in the side of another infected's head, causing it to spiral around and collapse into the tracks, and relinquish its grip on Rider.

The other infected noticed their comrades beginning to fall, and diverted their attention to the shadowed figure who had launched the arrows. They approached the figure in droves, only to be weaved around and efficiently put down by a variety of advanced hand-to-hand manoeuvres. In mere moments, she could see a large build-up of infected corpses at the figure's feet, and the only screeching and spluttering she heard was well away, back down the tunnel.

Warily, she shone the flash light at the figure, hoping to see Blufor's browned beard or Joel's heavy scowl.

The light illuminated the figure's head, and a brown burlap sack stared back at her. The empty eyes of the skull dyed into it filled her with a dread more intense than any infected. Surely enough, she saw a red circle emblazoned on the vest on his torso.

She heard a piercing scream from Rider, and running on fear, quickly crossed the platform and raised the elder girl from the floor. They ran together, away from the frightening figure, towards the only thing that she could be sure of – the fading orange light of the evening.

The figure was following them, and sprinting – she could feel him rapidly drawing closer, but was even more alarmed by the lack of heavy, booted footfalls. There was no doubt in her mind that the movement she'd seen before the infected attack was him. She took the stairs two at a time, leaving Rider to her own devices, and heaved in the fresher air as she scaled the climb. It felt good to breathe in cooler, purer air, and that granted her a little comfort from the pressure behind her. Rider, surprisingly, had kept pace well. She was right behind Ellie when they emerged at the top of the station, ran through the foyer past countless rotten benches and vending machines, and burst out into the street.

A single, black SUV was parked in the street outside, directly facing them. The high-powered headlights burned her eyes that never got the chance to re-adapt to the sudden influx of light, and she fell to the pavement with Rider falling next to her, blinded.

Another figure stood in front of the lights, silhouetted in a shooting stance, wielding what appeared to be a massive machine gun.

She looked behind her, back into the station, and her heart sank at the terrifying sight of the crudely-drawn skull-sack man. The pursuer raised his weapon at the silhouetted figure – a queer thing, she saw – with four chambers, each of which was loaded with a long, gleaming silver dart.

He drew the hammer of the strange weapon back to fire, but it was stolen from his hands as the machine gun banged once and a bullet smacked into the gun's body, sending it spiralling across the atrium. The skull-sack wearing figure raised his hands to head height.

"Go." The silhouetted man shouted. "Go, _now!"_

Their pursuer relented the chase, doubled around, and darted back down into the subway station, vanishing into the darkness as he descended the steps. Ellie collapsed backwards, her chest heaving, and lay next to the elder girl, breathing heavily. She looked at Rider, and Rider looked back, those beautiful silver eyes swimming in adrenaline.

The man from the SUV arrived by her quickly, dropped the machine gun, grasped one of her hands firmly and pulled her up to meet his face.

"Ellie, are you okay?" She heard Adam ask her, a rugged auburn beard starting to obscure his jawline. He had a black eye, and gashes on his face, but they had been well cleaned and treated.

"Y-yeah." She stammered, somewhat consumed by disbelief. "Yeah, I... I'm okay."

"Time for us to go." It gave her immense comfort to hear the familiar Scottish tones in his voice. His arm moved underneath her back to hoist her up.

"Her, help _her_." Ellie managed. Adam did as bid, relinquishing his grip on her and scooping Rider off of the floor. The elder girl had passed out from the ordeal, and was lying limply in the Watcher's arms as they strode back towards the SUV, its engine humming idly. The last light of day was setting over the horizon, and she saw the sun disappear behind the abandoned houses.

Adam threw the back door of the SUV open, stuffed Rider into the car, and motioned for Ellie to enter as well. She entered, sat down on the leather-lined seats and watched him close the door and move to the front. He got in, shut his door hard, and gestured to the driver to move off. They swivelled around, and began moving steadily away from Pinewood Parade station, the engine easily switching between gears and humming gently as it accelerated.

"The fuck was that?" The driver asked bluntly. "Was that-"

"Ghost?" Adam replied, glancing toward him. "Yeah."

"Crazy son of a bitch." The driver cursed, shaking his head.

"He... he saved us." Ellie began. "From the infected, in the subway."

"Girl, he isn't the sort to save people. Ever." The driver commented, glancing at her in the mirror.

"Give it a rest, Rat." Adam spat. "The girl's had enough for one day. She can tell us all about it when we get back."

"Yeah..." Ellie said quietly, leaning her head back into the headrest of the seat. The aches and pains in her body slowly began to seep away as she gazed out of the window, into the gradually darkening cityscape.

She glanced over to Rider, who was sleeping on the two seats next to her, her chest slowly rising and falling. She truly was beautiful.


	18. Chapter 18 - The Eagle's Nest - VI

"I'm just... there has to be another way to do it."

She thought she saw figures and shapes in her mind, playing out like a rerun of a TV episode. There were fuzzy colours and shapes, bright in hue, bouncing around in front of her eyes; they carried form, but were strangely distant as well. She thought she saw a woman's face looking into her eyes, accompanied by a warmth and soothing voice, laden with affection and love. She couldn't discern the woman; her appearance wasn't concealed, but it was obscured by a ray of orange light that cut through her vision, surrounded by faint black shapes, which then collapsed into darkness again.

"We don't have another choice... a captive would be the best route of action for us to... no, I realise that."

She processed the words without whim, and felt them seep into her mind and mutate the pleasant and warm shapes that had frequented her vision before. Every time she heard another, she noticed it came hand-in-hand with another darting flash of orange light. The brightness of it stung her eyes and when she tried to force the heavy skin open slightly, the words surrounding her become sharper and the warm, fuzzy colours and shapes slipped away.

"So, what?" She heard the man named Rat in the front seat ask, turning his head to consult his Scottish counterpart. "You expect my men to waltz around the city until one of them comes out? No. Even if the infected don't get them, all four of the squad are way outta their league. I ain't losing any more of my guys."

"I understand that." The Watcher countered. "Believe me. But this is a mutual agreement, and has mutual benefit. We take a captive, we find out where they are, and we get one step closer to finding Dove."

"Yeah."

"And then you help me find Amber."

The driver sighed. "I'm still regretting signing up for that part."

She lifted her head from her hand, and rolled her wrist around, wincing at the dull pain of the movement. She had been trying to keep her eyes open, but... she knew they had a bad habit of betraying her. She thought she hadn't been gone from consciousness long, but the way her wrist had seized up and the numbness tingling up her arm proved otherwise.

She glanced around the car quickly, her mind and eyes groggy and damp. She found nothing of particular interest, and began assessing herself. She moved her eyes downward, and coursed them along her body, observing a lattice of tears, rips and gashes in her jacket and shirt, of which she had donned so long ago now. Her mind viewed the last month as nothing but a blur; it seemed to her like mere moments since they had been gearing up for the excursion to the power plant, and how Evelynn's satirical grin and the coldness of the pines had sent nervousness coursing through her.

She made her eyes wander again, bored and off-put by the state of her clothing and no doubt her face. She allowed her vision to gloss over the two men in the front of the car, who her ears told her were still arguing. Their words meant nothing to her as she looked around, taking in the deep, textured brown of the leather interior and the sheen of Rider's white-grey eyes.

She met the elder girl's gaze, and she had to counter every instinct in her body not to simply blush and whip her head away and glance out the window at nothing in particular. She saw Rider smile warmly, her mouth spreading thinly in understanding, and lean her blonde covered head back against the frosty window of the SUV. The crisp and cool orange of dawn poured into the vehicle.

Another day.

"You talk in your sleep." The elder girl joked, parting her lips to reveal her rows of oddly pristine white teeth.

"Oh, brother..." Ellie heard herself say quietly, her mind becoming concerned from what she may have accidentally divulged.

"Don't worry about it." Rider rebutted, grinning. "It's cute."

Ellie felt a warm, fuzzy feeling rise inside of her again, but instead of shying away from it, made herself continue looking confidently into the other girl's eyes, holding the conversation. If Adam and Joel could be strong, so could she.

Joel.

She played the memories back in her brain. She saw speeding figures and heard gurgles and screams, and the heavy breathing that had been emanating from her for the entire ordeal. She had been involved in skirmishes with the infected before, of course, but... something about their most recent encounter was more than eerie.

The only real solid memory that she could recollect was the look on Blufor's face when he'd told her to run, and how she'd doubled around, scooped Rider off of the floor and bolted for the tunnel without even looking back.

She silently scolded herself. Joel and Blufor were both immensely dependable fighters, but she remembered - through the fog of adrenaline – that there had been more infected in the subway that night than anywhere she'd seen before. She hoped they had made it out, of course, but... her gut churned with immense guilt and pessimism. She remembered the colossal roar from the station behind them, ricocheting down the metro tunnel, and the skull on the burlap sack...

She must have physically winced at the thoughts, as Rider's face contorted into a frown in front of her.

"What's up?" She heard the girl ask.

She let out a deep and long sigh. "We just left them in there."

"They told us to run."

"I know. I thought we should've, and we did. Now I reckon we should've stayed."

"You and Rider were both brave." She heard a deeper, louder voice speak reassuringly from the front of the vehicle. She glanced upwards, and her eyes met with emerald green of Adam's in the rear-view mirror. For once, since they had first arrived at the Nest, she saw a smile on his rugged face.

She didn't remember telling him who she was.

"How'd you know her name?"

"We've had a while to introduce ourselves." She heard Rider comment, the elder girl turning her gaze and grin back over to her.

"Don't worry about the other two." She heard Adam tell her, looking at his smile in the rear-view. "Blufor's the best. I get the feeling Joel is even better, but he never lets anyone know it."

"That's about right." Ellie admitted.

"They'll be back. I'm sure of it."

"That's a good point." The driver piped up. "I could sure as hell use some more good men. You wanna run a search party for those two?" She heard Rat ask Adam, seemingly completely ignoring her.

"No need, Rat." She heard Rider butt in from the side, her interruption clearly setting the skinny man slightly on edge. Ellie noticed through his scowl that his face was slim and long, and observed the greasy and unkempt clumps of mud-brown hair sitting on his skull. She thought he looked like he would've been homeless before the outbreak, or at least very poor. She noted he looked exceptionally malnourished when sitting next to Adam.

"Why not?" She heard him ask her, sounding slightly perturbed.

"They were there when you radioed me." She watched Rider comment, the elder girl's eyes temporarily straying to focus on Rat. "They know we're headed to the hospital."

"Let's hope they don't bring any damn infected back, then."

She watched Rat huff with distress and then return to focus on driving the vehicle. She remembered he had been perfectly civil when talking on the radio; maybe the leader of the mercs didn't function too well under pressure. She was relieved that Adam was with her again. She hadn't had time to see before, but she looked him over now; she could finally understand why he was on edge. The large, hulking, powerful Adam who'd glowed with human strength when they'd left the mountains had been replaced. It may've been the light, but she thought he looked paler than usual, and sweeping purple bags circled and scored the skin up and around his eyes. He was thinner than he had been before – admittedly, they'd hardly eaten in just under four days, the pinnacle of their food supply being scavenging for non-perishables in supermarkets and berries in parks – but he had noticeably lost weight. She saw his auburn 5 o'clock shadow had grown into a fully-fledged beard, and his nose was a weirder shape than it had been before it'd been broken twice in a fortnight. She thought he seemed weaker… well, perhaps not weaker, but stressed. She assumed he was fretting about Evelynn as much as she was.

"I mean what I said, by the way." She listened to Adam begin. He briefly cut off to gesture to Rat. "Turn left up here."

"I know where to go, dammit…" She heard the leader mumble under his breath.

"Both of you were very brave." The Scotsman spoke up again. "With Ghost, particularly."

Ellie glanced at Rider, who met her gaze with a look of unease.

"He's a nasty character." She heard herself speak.

"You're damn right he is." She heard Rat interject. "Crazy bastard is the worst of the four. Well, three now. Of course, Simon's pissed off to the Nest, but Ghost was always worse. You two and Adam are the first people to have survived after meeting him."

"You're not serious?" She heard Rider ask from her left, her tone somewhat bewildered. "How come you never told me about that guy?"

"Didn't need to." She felt the leer of the vehicle as Rat spun it around another corner. "The less you know, the better. You and I both know you'd have gone out lookin' for him."

"Who says I won't now?" Rider sassed.

"I say." Rat doubled around and shot Rider a glare. Ellie noticed that it was concerned and loving, behind the sternness that it held. She watched him turn back around, and then gazed out the window.

The cityscape was the same as it had been when they arrived. Aged, but hardly damaged, and eerie in that respect. The worst damage was damp rot and plants growing in houses and storefronts. She noticed the city looked more like an overgrown greenhouse than the setting of an epidemic disaster. Every now and again, they'd pass faded green signs with names of places written on them in dull white ink. There were libraries, cafes, even an industrial district, and signs that dictated distances to the next train station. Rest assured, she wasn't overly keen to delve into the subway again anytime soon. It was nearly twenty minutes until they drove past a sign with 'Hospital' written on it, and she became suddenly aware of the vastness of the city that surrounded her. Somewhere out there were Joel and Blufor.

She retreated into her thoughts for the remainder of the journey, either sitting in silence or simply not getting involved in the conversation in the car. Most of it was dull or dark anyway. She lost track of the time because she was dwelling on the Nest, and what they would soon be up against. She was taken somewhat by surprise when Rat spoke into his radio.

"Rat to Ward Five, Rat to Ward Five."

"_Five here." _She heard the radio spit back in response after a few seconds as they pulled into a parking lot adjoining three large, multi-story buildings that were connected by dilapidated walkways which had once been lined with panes of glass.

"We're home."

_"Copy that, leader. Service gate one is open. Welcome back."_

She noticed Rat didn't reply to the greeting.

The place they were in, despite having rusted-out ambulances and medical tents strewn around the compound, didn't have the feeling of a hospital about it. All of the hospitals she had ever been in had been white, ceramic-laden buildings kept clean in exempt from the other buildings in the cities. This one looked more like someone had taken a few retired battleships, planted them in the middle of urban downtown and called it a medical centre. She saw the buildings weren't tall, but huge; the area each of the three took up was larger than the parking lot that connected them all together. She was surprised when she remembered Rider saying they didn't use the buildings for the base; they were huge and grey and looked almost impregnable. Two of them stood intact, accounting for shattered or lost windows, but the third had been destroyed in a breathtaking fashion; she saw the whole left wing of the building had been knocked in and had collapsed, the edges stained black from a fire burnt out long ago. Upon closer inspection, she saw the husk of a huge passenger jet fragmented across the wreckage.

"Holy shit…" She muttered in disbelief, shocked by the size of it.

She saw Rider grin in her peripheral. "Flight 365 to Toronto. Rat was in the city the day that happened."

"Right after the outbreak?"

She heard the driver sigh from the front of the car as it trundled slowly through the lot to the middle building, perpendicular to them.

"Yeah." Rat confessed. "The first day of it, actually. My first job was here. I owned a small town house a ways from the University on the other side of town. I'd come here to bail someone out when that thing fell outta the sky."

"What happened?"

"Fuck knows. Engine failure maybe. I reckon it was due to the pilot being eaten alive. Shortly after it crashed there were infected everywhere. Flying ain't easy when your limbs are being gnawed on."

"It's huge." Ellie muttered, to no one in particular. "I've never seen one that big."

"Carried around 600 people. All of them will've died. It hit the building pretty hard."

She was going to press for more, when Rider took the words right out of her mouth.

"Where were you when it happened?"

"Building Two, on the left, there." She watched him gesture over to the intact building behind them, to their left. "Ward twenty. Right on this side, by the windows. Never been so scared in my life."

"You shit yourself?"

"Course I did. Back then we weren't exactly accustomed to seeing death on a daily basis."

"Knew you'd shit yourself."

"Knock it off, Rider."

She didn't ask anything else about Rat as the pulled up to the side of the building. They descended a ramp a few meters before stopping outside a corrugated metal door. When she looked at him, she realized he'd be the sort of person who'd only tell someone about him when they're ready. She wondered why she'd taken such an interest in knowing random stuff about people in the last few weeks.

_"_Franco-Seven." Rat spoke clearly into his radio.

She leaned back into her seat and watched as the door raised and the dullness of the dawn was somewhat brightened by the lights in the delivery bay and the LED streams of flash-lights. She saw three men in civilian militia gear emerge from the bay, check the identity of the driver and do a quick sweep of the surrounding area. Once complete, they gestured to Rat, who trundled the SUV inside. Rider hadn't been wearing a seatbelt and ducked out of the car the second they stopped, and the men followed shortly after. She made her aching body shift, and jumped quietly out the door after them.

She saw the corrugated door descend, and the three men remove their helmets. One moved towards Rat. He was youthful, and possessed a certain energy that the two elder, more rugged men lacked. She reached Rider's side as he reached the leader.

"Glad you made it, sir."

"Thanks for coming up to man this for our entry." She heard Rat state courteously. Once inside his base, she noticed his demeanour change from a grumpy old man to a stern and established leader. "Men are spread thinly these days."

"Not a problem, sir. Us three, we go where we're needed."

She saw Rat smile. "Don't think you and I have met. What's your name, son?"

"Andrew, sir." She saw him grimace slightly as he unprofessionally stated his first name. "Sorry, sir. I mean, Ryker."

"Ah, Ryker." The leader turned to move towards a tunnel in the back of the delivery bay, which slowly sloped downwards. He gestured for the three men to follow him, as she, Rider and Adam let him take point. "You're the one Olivia talks about, right?"

Ellie watched Ryker glance quickly to the floor and smile as they walked.

"You got it, sir."

"She's a great woman. I'll put in a good word." Rat turned around and smiled at the man, which she was rather surprised by. Random acts of kindness didn't seem to be Rat's bag.

She reached to bottom of the ramp next to Adam, who'd been silent since they'd entered the building. His face was reflecting some form of duress, and his eyes looked yellower than they had the last time she'd looked. He glanced at her, smiled warmly, though faintly, and moved through a door in the wall after Rat and Ryker.

Rat slammed the heavy door shut after the other two men had walked through. It was thick, and heavy, but she noticed it was nothing like the airlock-fashion doors that gave entry to Adam's mine. The area they had entered was a thin corridor with fluorescent lights dotting the ceiling at certain intervals; she noticed no doors on the walls to her left and right, but saw a complex sandbag fortification and two mounted, large calibre machine guns set up. She noticed four more men at the bottom of the space where the corridor opened out, and they were all sitting around a wooden box throwing playing cards around, drinking and laughing. Apparently they'd gone at ease when they'd found out it was Rat coming and not a Titan attack. She was pleasantly surprised by their game; it was the most human thing she'd witnessed for a long while.

"Nice set-up." She noticed Adam comment as they began to walk towards the position.

"Thanks." Ryker replied from in front. "We only have two entrances into Ward Five, and this is the larger one. Nothing gets in or out without us knowing about it."

"How big is the base?" Adam asked. She didn't like the fact he was all business; it seemed wrong after seeing laughter and enjoyment.

"Big enough. We had to cut down our area significantly after Jack and his lackeys split. We've only got about twenty people here now, but it's fine. They all know each other well and unit cohesion is almost airtight here. My dad used to say that ten good men in communication could defeat a hundred."

She saw Adam frown at the lack of numbers. She had to admit, she'd thought there would be more of them. There were a huge amount of people at the Nest, she remembered, but she imagined life here was a lot more dangerous. All of the people here would have near-death stories of their own.

They passed the men playing cards and one of them gestured to Rat, who replied with a nod. Ellie felt sad to leave the merriment as they diverted down another corridor. She saw rooms start to appear at the very end, allocated with nameplates stuck to their door fronts.

"Blufor said you guys were mercenaries." Ellie commented, hoping to draw the Scotsman's attention.

"Not exactly." Ryker responded, stealing the show. "We used to work for people, yeah, but now we try and protect our own. We take people in every now and again, as well."

"So, freedom fighters, then?"

She heard Rat huff patronisingly and immediately regretted saying anything.

She saw Ryker smile faintly. "Something in the middle of those, I think."

She followed closely to Adam, the only one of the people she felt that she could really trust. Rider was beside her, and she had to fight every urge not to part from Adam and change her companion. She sensed that would be wrong, though; she'd be able to make it without the Scotsman, but would he be able to make it without her? For once, she doubted his strength. She made the choice to stick with him for the time being.

They walked down corridors for a while, passing countless operation rooms remade into makeshift flats, an armoury, and a cafeteria. She glanced at the people frequenting it and a few of them looked up at the new arrivals, but weren't overly interested and returned to their meals. Her stomach ached from hunger and she envied the other two guards as they split off from the group and walked inside, while they passed right on by.

She couldn't tell how far underground they were, but it felt quite a way, maybe ten meters or so.

"What was this place used for?" Ellie asked, this time directing her question at Rat. "This ward, I mean. Not the hospital."

"Cancer patients." Rat replied, pointing to a sign attached to the ceiling that said 'Radiotherapy' and pointed down another corridor to the right. "High priority stuff like that. If there was a sudden turn, it was easier to get the patients down here than up four floors."

"It doesn't feel like a hospital." She commented. "It feels… warmer. Friendlier."

She noticed Adam smile slightly and Rat huff. This time, it wasn't out of annoyance.

"This was my favourite place when I worked here." The leader admitted. "Most of the patients were irretrievable, and they accepted that, so there was a weird sense of freedom about all of them. A lot of them talked to each other as well. Despite it being a place where a lot of people died, it was always a happy place. There was always laughter here."

"So you chose it over the other wards?"

"Yeah." Rat admitted, and she watched him lean forward and press down the bar on a metal double-door, causing them to swing open and reveal a slightly wider and taller corridor behind. "Ward Six is the biggest, and Eight the most defensible, but they're both over in the first building, where the jet went down." They moved through the group together. "I've been to both, and it's eerie there. My men have reported weird shit happening, too."

They reached a final set of double-doors, which Rat casually pushed open. They parted, and Ellie saw an office meeting room that had been converted into an Operations facility. She saw a large set-up of monitors in the far wall, all viewing cameras focusing around the building and on the interior as well. A large desk was covered in various sheets of paper from plans and re-drafted strategies, and five other people were present in the room, one of them chatting idly to others on a communication device nestled in the rear corner. She noticed three men, and two women.

"Here we are." Rat said, and she watched him walk around to the other side of the table and lean on a map of the city. She gazed over it and saw Pinewood Heights, as well as the station where they entered the first day.

"Elaborate." She heard Adam comment, and saw him begin to move towards Rat. "I was thinking we should-"

"Jack?" Rider interjected, moving completely past Ellie and Adam. Ellie noticed her speaking in an unusual tone… it certainly wasn't overwhelming happiness.

In the corner, she saw one of the three men shoot his head up. He was sitting on a small, metal chair… she noticed that he had been handcuffed to it, and the other two men, while conversing with him in a friendly way, were holding weapons.

"Rider." He spoke, and she watched a grin spread across his face.

She wasn't sure what she had expected of Jack. Part of her saw him as a disgusting, beer-bellied slob, with a shaved head and body odour, who wasn't worth someone like Rider, and had a horribly foul attitude. The truth couldn't have been more distant; she noticed he was young, youthful and around the same age as Ryker, with chestnut-brown skin and hazel eyes. She noticed he had straight, white teeth as well, almost as perfect as Rider's. She had to hold herself back as the elder girl moved towards the man, and she felt a pang of jealousy shoot through her as Rider leaned in for what looked like a kiss. At the last moment, the elder girl pulled back and Ellie winced at the loud crack that filled the room as she slapped him.

"You fucking asshole." She heard Rider spit at him. "I'm glad you're alive, but you're still a fucking asshole!"

She saw him sigh, and slump into the chair.

"This place isn't right for us, Rider. We had to leave. We don't want to be soldiers. We _don't want_ to live under Rat all the damn time!"

"_You _don't want to."

"_She_ does." She heard Rat speak as he moved towards Jack menacingly. "The only reason you're here instead of locked up in Ward Six is because you know what we're dealing with. I'm not putting up with any of your hippie anti-combatant shit, clear?"

She saw Jack mull it over for a moment in his head.

"Okay." She heard him speak. "I'll help, but only if you get that murderer out of here." She watched his gaze move across the room, and fall on Adam.

She heard the loud rasp of Rat's sigh, and saw Adam tighten.

"Adam is a dependable fighter and a wise tactician." Rat spoke, perturbed, as if he'd told this story a thousand times. "You fired on him and his friends pre-emptively. He acted like I would've in his situation. He viewed you as a threat, and acted to eliminate you."

"That was Pearce's fault! He thought they were infected."

"Then Pearce was an idiot and we're better off without him. I need men who can follow rules, and he blatantly ignored that _no one is hostile until they prove themselves otherwise._ Remember that one? What Adam did was-"

"It's okay, Rat." She heard the Watcher interject from the other side of the room. She watched his focus move from the floor, to looking straight into Jack's eyes. "I've already told you why I killed them. My people were in danger, and we're dealing with something bigger at the moment, I don't know how long I have left to…" She noticed he stopped before he told them about his infection. "What I mean to say, is that while I can't bring your friends back, I… I'm sorry. Truly."

She watched Jack's tense face of fury loosen into acceptance. He didn't reply, only nodded, and cast his eyes to the floor.

"Are you done?" She heard Rat quietly ask Jack.

"Yeah. I'm done." He replied, not raising his eyes from the floor.

She moved with the other three as Rat gestured them to surround him at the table. She noticed the hospital, and several outposts in the city, all of which were manned and marked on the map. She listened intently as they began warmongering; she'd never been allowed to help with plans before.

"We have a common enemy." Rat spoke clearly. "These red-rings." She saw his eyes dart upwards to Adam. "Tell them."

She listened to Adam address the others in the room.

"The red-rings are a large group of bandits and hunters operating under a man named Andrey Pyotr. I've been harassing their operations for the last six months, since discovering their existence. They've captured a large survivor town up north away from here, and I have reason to believe they have the leader, Amber White, who is being held captive by the squad operating in this city."

A woman from the back of the room piped up. She was large, for a woman, but not excessively so; she was tall, and much bulkier than Rider or Evelynn, but didn't carry an ounce of fat on her. Ellie noticed she wore deep black hair in a pixie cut, and spoke with confidence.

"What's your relationship with White?"

"Old friends." Adam replied. "She governs well, wisely, and fairly. Her town is a massive help to survivors all around."

"How many casualties were there in the town, and how many civilians?" The woman probed.

"None, it was a stealth operation. They neglected their uniforms so the population aren't suspicious. As for totals, I'd say near two hundred. That changes by the day."

"We're not focusing on that, yet." Rat spoke, redirecting the conversation. "Concentrate on the squad, Olivia."

"Sorry, sir." The woman broke off the conversation and Ellie watched her move towards Ryker, and stand next to him.

"The squad." Adam began again. "Four offshoots from the group. One of them, Simon, is in the town, commanding the red-rings there. The other three are here, and have been bothering you, yes?"

"Yes." Rat confided. "Chriss, Happy Sal, and Ghost, from what our surviving scouts have told us… most of them didn't come back. I stopped sending them a while ago."

"Where do they operate?"

"We don't know."

"How long have they been here?"

"We don't know that, either."

Adam sighed, and she watched him rest his hands on the table next to Rat.

"We need information, or we won't get anywhere."

She saw Rat stand up to his full height.

"I'm not sending any more men out there."

Adam paused. "I'll go, then."

"That's out of the question as well." Rat rebutted.

"I agree." Ellie spoke, not thinking about how silly her voice would sound amongst the debate. "We've almost died, what, three times since we got here?"

She saw Adam process her comment, and then wash over with a look of compliance. "You're right. This place is dangerous, and what we do will need to be done carefully. I suggest we plan, first."

"I agree." Rat concluded.

She eventually lost interest in the strategies, as they took a long time to plan and were usually thrown out as junk for some variable they hadn't considered before. Within half an hour, she and Rider had retired to the other side of the room, and sat together on a couch. She enjoyed talking with the elder teen, truly, as she was almost an older version of herself. They had a surprising amount in common. She didn't realize how long they had been talking until she glanced up at a clock on the wall and saw the hands just over two hours ahead of when she'd checked on the way in. She didn't look, but she could feel Jack's gaze bearing over them the entire time.

"All right, your turn." She heard Rider speak.

"Okay…" She began. "Favourite animal?"

"Dogs, definitely dogs." Rider replied. "A big dog, though. Like a Husky or a German Shepherd. One I can cuddle properly."

"That's so cute!" She replied, grinning like an idiot the whole time. The whole conversation seemed massively girly compared to what usual subject matter there was, but she kept it going just because she was talking about it with Rider.

"I like horses." She told the elder girl, looking down at her hands and playing with her fingernails. "We had a horse named Callus, he was amazing. Helped us out when we would've died otherwise."

"Is he alive?" Rider asked, and Ellie saw her face was suddenly serious.

"No." She admitted. "He got shot. That was another time he saved me."

She saw Rider sigh.

"People have been killing animals for ages. Only a matter of time until they would turn into animals and kill each other for sport."

"Yeah." Ellie replied, looking the girl in the eyes again. "It sucks. Adam tries to stop that as much as he can."

"He killed the men on the roadblock."

"Yeah, he did." She admitted, trying to defend the Scotsman. "After Pearce or whatever his name was shot at us!"

"I know, I'm sorry." She watched Rider say as she cast her head down in shame. "I didn't mean to say it like that. Guess I'm just a bit sore about it. I knew most of those guys well. They would always-"

"Ward here. What is it, Gate two?" Ellie's head darted up at the interruption. She looked around in surprise at the man operating the communications device, which had just randomly piped up and was hanging tensely on the edge of his seat.

"What is it?" She heard Rat ask, only to be silenced by the man placing a finger to his lips as he listened. She watched him pull one of the headphones off.

"Movement, exterior." He replied to Rat, as she watched him waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Infected again?" The leader asked.

She saw the man shrug, still listening to the radio device.

"Get the men inside and in position. Use the exterior light; it's early morning, so blink it on and off. We want them to see it."

"The exterior light?" She heard Adam ask, who shared her perplexity at the command.

"Yes." Rat replied, not turning to acknowledge them. "If infected or bandits want to get in, there'll be silence. Survivors will knock."

"Copy." She heard the comms man say to Rat. She watched him slip the headphone back over his ear and relay the command.

"Rat says turn on the exterior light, and get into position."

There was a moment of silence in the room. She noticed everyone was tense, now.

"I know, but Rat gave his orders." She heard the man speak into the device. "Copy, keep us informed."

She glanced over to Rat as the man turned around, the conversation apparently over. He gestured to the other woman, who was standing by the camera feeds.

"Do we have a visual?" She heard him ask.

As the other woman looked at the monitors, Ellie scanned the Gate two cameras as well. One of them was broken, only showing grey static, and the other two showed parts of the surrounding area. She couldn't see any movement. She watched intently as the camera shots glowed white for a moment, and then were a surprisingly large amount brighter than before. She could see more easily with the exterior light up; the sun had only been properly up for an hour and a half and the built-up urban area cast long, dark shadows everywhere.

She noticed everyone in the room was scrutinizing the screens, looking for the disturbance. She couldn't see anything moving.

"There." The woman named Olivia spoke. Ellie watched her point to the monitor labelled Exterior Camera Three, where half of the frame was lit up by the light on the outside, split almost centrally by a boundary where the light's rays couldn't illuminate the last of the shadow. "A silhouette." She heard the woman continue. "I saw it move, on the left, by the dumpsters."

"Human?" Rat inquired.

"I think so."

They sat there staring at the screens for another few minutes. Her eyes strained searching for any sign of movement to comment on. The screens sat there, blank, displaying the same static picture.

Ellie heard the swivel chair to her right strain as the man leaned into the communications device again.

"Copy." He spoke into the advice. Again, she watched him remove one headphone and direct his attention towards Rat. "There's been a knock, sir."

She felt the tension immediately alleviate from the others in the room, but lost none herself. She was well aware of the tricks men played to gain entry to a strategic target. She noticed Adam still scowling at the monitors, apparently sharing her prolonged concerns.

"Raise the door." Rat spoke. "High alert. Be ready."

"Yes, sir." She kept watching the screens while the man relayed the command through the radio. The internal camera on Gate Two showed six men armed, standing in the delivery bay, manning a singular machine-gun position. There wasn't a shot of the door.

She watched the men standing there for a while, weapons raised, while she saw the mouths of one of them moving in tiny, pixelated ways. The frames updated, and she saw the rest of the men lower their guns while one spoke into an earpiece.

In quick succession, she noticed the man on the comms lean forward again.

"Door closed, sir." He spoke. "Three people. Two men and one female captive."

"A captive?" She heard Rat ask, surprised tones frequenting his voice.

"Yes, sir." The man paused. "Apparently she tried to kill them earlier today."

"Lovely." She heard Adam sarcastically comment to her side.

"Anything else?"

She watched the man sitting there, his eyes gazing upwards towards nothing as he concentrated on properly processing the words.

"They're asking if someone named Ellie is here."

She felt overwhelmed with relief and happiness in one big, wonderful hit. They'd made it out alive. They'd made it.

"Who's Ellie?" Rat asked.

She saw Adam step forward in her peripheral. He had a genuine smile on his face; she hadn't seen one like it since they'd left Evelynn.

"She is." She watched him tell Rat, gesturing to her. She saw the leader smirk, his face changing beneath his ragged, greasy mop, and then rotate back to face the comms man.

"Keep them there." She saw the man nod, and turn back towards his device, speaking the command back to the men at the second gate. "Ryker, Olivia, with me." He gestured to her, and tapped Adam on the shoulder. "Let's go."

She walked behind Rat, Olivia and Ryker, out the double doors and back along the larger of the corridors. Despite not being called, Rider had followed them, and she felt an unusual feeling of happiness that the elder girl had chosen her company over that of her hippie, deserting boyfriend.

The disturbance has been noted throughout the Ward. They didn't make it as far as the cafeteria or the armoury, moving to turn right before them and head to Radiology, but she saw other members of the group loitering in the corridors or scurrying about, some with weapons drawn and primed.

"What's the situation, sir?" One of them asked Rat as he passed.

"Lower your guns, but be on your toes." She watched the leader reply to them. "We have three new arrivals. One of them is a captive, and dangerous. She's going in the Safe."

"Thanks, Rat." The man turned around to the others frequenting the corridor. She heard him tell them to stand down as they began to heading away from the cafeteria.

"How do you know she's dangerous?" Ellie asked Rat, being slightly confused by his order.

"Why would two fully grown, strong fighting men need to take a woman captive?"

She accepted that it seemed unlikely she was a non-combatant.

"She has to be dangerous, or they wouldn't consider her a threat." She listened to Rat say as they paced quickly down the corridor, following the signs saying 'Delivery Gate Two.' "There are only a handful of dangerous women in this city, and all but one of them work for me."

She saw Adam turn his head to participate in the conversation.

"You don't think she's-"

"Chriss? Probably. If so, our life just got considerably easier."

They walked past Radiology, rounded the corner, and appeared in the hallways leading up to Gate two. Rat increased his speed and she noticed the others doing the same. She started making her legs move a little faster, despite still experiencing a dull pain from overuse. She needed food and rest, soon.

The corridor was much like the one by Gate one, and gradually got thinner as they approached the delivery bay. Another one of the thick, sturdy metal doors stood fast in the middle of the wall, and she noticed this one was less worn, with a sign on it that read about keeping infections within the hospital and washing your hands. Despite the situation, even she could admire that irony.

She watch Rat move up to the steadfast door and pound on it solidly three times, standing back when it swung open at the effort of a well-geared man. He moved out the way to let them through, and they entered the delivery bay and began ascending the ramp.

She looked around as they ascended. The layout and colour scheme of the bay were identical to the first, but this one was considerably smaller. They crested the top of the ramp, and she saw the heavy machine gun resting on its stand behind a wall of oddly clean sandbags. Behind, she saw two more of Rat's men holding the prisoner down. She had a rag in her mouth beneath the bag; Ellie couldn't see it, but angry, muffled yelling was the only sound in the room.

To her left, conversing with the last few men were Blufor and Joel. Joel looked no worse for wear than he had the previous day, albeit his hair was ragged and his jacket torn, but Blufor was almost head-to-toe in thick, red blood. There were hand-shaped smear marks on his face where he'd obviously tried to wipe it off.

Without thinking, she immediately moved towards Joel. He saw her coming, turned his head and grinned at her, bending down on a knee to hug her tightly as she reached him.

"You made it!" She said happily. There were no tears this time; maybe she was getting stronger. "I knew you'd make it!"

"I sure did." He said gleefully, which she noticed was odd for him. "I had to see you again, didn't I?"

She hugged him tighter. "I was so scared, Blufor told us to run, I-"

"Did the right thing. The only reason I didn't tell you to was 'cause I was neck deep in Clickers."

She drew herself back from the embrace, and sat in his arms. She looked at his face; he was definitely getting old. His hair and beard were now fully grey, and like Adam, he looked more haggard than he had before the Nest. He too had lost weight, and she could feel his shoulder bones through the top of his shirt when she hugged him. She glanced to her left, and saw Blufor was the same; he also had a large gash alongside his right eye, from which she imagined some of the blood was from. The rest she doubted was his, though.

"Did the Titan turn up?" She asked him, tones of fear in her voice. "I heard it roar as we left."

"It did." He admitted, and she saw him look up to Blufor. "We ran from it, initially. We knew something weren't right when we stopped hearing its noise. We cleared out the last infected, and found its corpse on our way out. It had stab wounds in its head, and a lot of 'em. Funny thing is we never even heard the guy that did it."

She decided she would save the story of their encounter with Ghost for a more private venue.

"I'm just glad you got here." She said, hugging him tightly a second time.

"I'm fine as well." She heard the blood-covered Blufor joke from her left. "Thanks for asking."

She leaned away from Joel, and turned to the squadmate, grinning.

"How'd you get into that mess?" She asked.

She saw him chuckle at her clear understatement of his appearance.

"One of them exploded all over me. I shot him in the torso and he went pop. Threw me off my feet. If I didn't have my mask, I would've gotten it in my eyes, and mouth, and we all know what happens after that."

She nodded in understanding.

"And the cut on your head?"

"That was her." She watched Blufor raise his arm and lazily point over to the woman, who was still screaming through her mouth-rag, and had three guards pinning her down, now. "Not gonna lie, stings a bit." He spoke jokingly. "She's a dangerous one. Jumped me and tried to stab me straight in the head. I reacted, and she cut right through my mask before I got time to take it off. Got my head a bit too, obviously. Luckily, she cleans her knife."

She turned her head and looked the captive woman over. She was shorter than Joel, about Rider's height, and skinnier than them both by a long way. She wore a baggy set of mock-military camouflage, coloured a familiar grey-black. She got the impression that Rat's theory had been correct.

"Disarm her, get her up." She heard Rat command from just behind her. "Then take her to the Safe."

The three guards did as bid, and she watched them pull two grenades, two pistols and four different knives of varying sizes from the woman's clothing, wrestle her up, and with an escort from the other two men by the door, bustle her through it and out into the corridor.

She noticed Adam had arrived at her side.

Blufor huffed, and smiled.

"You look like shit, brother."

"So do you." The Scotsman replied, and she watched the two embrace for a few moments. She was particularly surprised when Joel did the same.

"Good to see you, Joel." Adam spoke when they hugged. She watched him start walking with Rat and the last two guards towards the doorway, and gestured for them to follow. "Did you guys do okay?"

"Okay enough." She heard Joel reply. "Two Titans and a shit ton of everything else, though."

"That's good." Adam replied sarcastically, and she couldn't repress a grin. Neither could Joel, apparently. "We picked Ellie and Rider up just outside the subway." She heard him say as they passed through the metal door and shut it firmly behind them. "We were going to try and catch up to Jack and the others who set the roadblock up."

"What'd they do once they took you captive?" She heard Joel ask, him suspiciously eye-balling Rat's men.

"Nothing major." Adam replied idly. "Of course, they interrogated me; I killed a few of their men. We worked it out, though."

They turned the corner, and came to a stop at a door near Radiology. She saw it was left ajar, with the words 'Radiology Suite 2' having been crudely scribbled out and replaced below with 'Safe One.' She was second through the door behind Rat, and saw a barren room, with one feature directly in the middle. The five other guards were standing around it, and the door had been left open. The large metal box was just big enough to fit a person sitting on a chair, and she saw the woman was the unfortunate occupant. She noticed the bag had been removed; the woman's features were cold, and brutal. She had a square, angry jawline beneath the mouth-rag and a close-shaven head that made her look remarkably and masculine. Upon seeing Rat, Ellie saw the scowl in her eyes change to a crazed and mocking grin.

"It's her." She heard Rat whisper. "Chriss."

"What do you want to do?" Adam whispered in reply.

"Come with me." He gestured to the Scotsman. They walked over to her, together. Upon closer inspection, Ellie saw chains on karabiners lashing her to the chair. It seemed to her that Rat took Chriss more seriously than using plain old ropes.

She saw him and Adam approach her, and heard the rip of the rag being torn forcibly away from her mouth.

"You." She heard Rat speak intimidatingly.

"Oh, look who it is!" The captive replied satirically. "The little nigger lover!"

She saw one of the guards, an African-American man like Carlos and Ramone, scowl at the derogatory slur.

"Watch your goddamn mouth." Rat shot back at her.

"Or what, asshole? How's your nigger wife?" She saw Rat grimace and look down at the floor, clearly pained. "Oh, that's right!" The woman responded. "I fucking skinned her alive!" She screamed at Rat's face, tensing so much that Ellie could see the veins and cartilage grotesquely stretching in her skinny neck.

"I said, watch your damn mouth."

"She screamed when I flayed her, did you know that? Screamed your filthy traitorous name. I thought you were a fucking disgrace for marrying someone so... inferior."

She turned her head as the dark-skinned guard advanced forward.

"Hey, fuck you, you racist bitch!" He bellowed at her, raising his gun. Rat hardly reacted, but she watched as three other guards went over to pacify him.

"Don't worry, man." She heard one of them say to him, trying to calm his heavy breathing. "It's cool, she's fucking crazy anyway."

"_Crazy?" _Chriss bellowed in return. "For believing we're superior? You are all the crazy ones, fucking traitors!"

"Rat, shut her the hell up, man!"

"I will." Rat said forcibly, turning his head to the man. "Stand down. Leave if you have to. No more outbursts."

She saw the guard cast his head to the floor.

"Sorry, sir."

"Ooh." Chriss said patronizingly. "You command them. I knew you were like me."

Ellie saw a spray of blood smack into the side of the large safe as Rat smacked her hard across the face.

"You're gonna do two things." He said, slowly. "First, you're gonna watch your goddamn mouth. Then, you're gonna tell me where you're keeping Dove."

"I ain't telling you shit." She heard Chriss slur through a bloodied mouth.

"Nothing?"  
>"Hell no."<p>

"Last chance."

"Fuck you, traitor."

She thought she saw Rat smile. He muttered something to Adam, who she watched return to her side.

"All right."

She watched a guard walk over with a small device, and hand it to Rat. There was an old-school cassette sticking out the bottom of the slot in the device, and he took it in one of his hands. Next, he was handed a small syringe of light-blue fluid, which he injected into Chriss' neck, much to her distaste. She saw the racist spit in his face, only to be answered by another smack. She watched Rat motion to turn the cassette player on.

"Cover your ears." She heard Adam whisper, and did so quickly. The guards and the other men didn't, but she noticed Rider put her fingers in her ears while wearing an off-put expression. She saw Rat press a button on the side, and heard a loud screeching sound explode out of the device. She uncapped her ears for a moment out of curiosity, which was a mistake, and immediately blocked them again to at least quieten the horrific noise, which was so deafening it almost forced her to the floor.

Rat stepped back from the chair, threw the cassette player into the safe, and she watched him start to heave the massive steel door shut. She heard the racist scream, almost quiet next to the louder noise, until the heavy door closed and was turned shut, and the sound was completely cancelled.

"Goddamn skinhead red-ring bitch." Rat spoke under his breath, stepping backward.

There was silence for a few moments. The sound of the cassette player was a very quiet hum, but could still be heard through the walls of the safe.

"What did she do to your wife?" Ellie asked, immediately regretting the bluntness of the question as everyone in the room looked at her – except Rat, who didn't turn around, and stood there staring at the safe.

"Didn't you hear her say it?" She heard him ask.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine." She stopped talking as he cut in. "I know what you meant."

She moved aside as he turned around and pushed past her, making for the door.

"What'll that do to her?" She asked after Rat.

"Give her a nice headache." She heard him utter satirically as he pushed past another guard and out through the door, leaving it to fold shut behind him and not looking back.

After a few moments, Adam answered her question.

"Complete lack of stimulus." She heard him say. "The only 'humane' torture technique. Most people break in under an hour. You can't hear, see or feel anything. Your voice and your mind are completely deafened and the drug is a paralytic, which was commonly used alongside anaesthetic for much more serious operations."

"That sounds horrible." She stated, in plain disgust.

"It is." Adam commented. She noticed the colour in his face had drained, a look that only came from recent experience.

"How long will she be in there for?" She started to notice the other men filing out of the room behind them. Ryker lingered in the doorway, waiting for them.

"As I said, most people break in under an hour." He gestured for the exit. "We'll give her two."

She followed Rider out of the door, and the others piled out into the corridor. She heard Ryker quietly shut the door, its bolt snapping into place, and then kept her eyes on him as he turned to address them.

"I know we've missed breakfast, but there might be something else on the go. Go and talk to Martha, all of you. You look famished."

"We are." Joel said with a thankful smile, and she felt one of his strong hands find her backpack and begin to push her forward. She moved with him, and the group walked back down the corridor, away from the eerie interrogation rooms.

"I hope you all don't think bad of Rat for doing that." She turned her head as Ryker spoke to them. "He's doing the right thing. She's one of the most horrible people I've ever met."

"Don't worry." She heard Blufor comment from behind her. "We've all had our dealings with red-rings."

"I can see." She saw Ryker gesture to his forehead, roughly the area of Blufor's massive gash. "You should probably get that looked at, man."

"He's right." She heard Olivia speak from behind them, next to Blufor. "I'll take you to our combat medic, if you like."

"Yeah, that'd be great." Blufor commented. "I suddenly don't feel so hot."

"Okay." Olivia replied, moving towards Ryker. "Will you be in you room tonight?" She heard her ask.

"Yeah." Ryker replied.

"All right." She watched the two kiss in front of her. Seems like Rat was behind the intel in that regard. "See you later, Andy."

She watched the bulky woman spin around, take Blufor by the arm and lead him in the direction they just came from, to eventually vanish around the corner.

They followed as Ryker moved forward, back out into the hallway by the Operations room, and swerve to the right, into the cafeteria. The room was fairly large, and impeccably clean; she hadn't seen anywhere spit-polished to such a degree in her entire life. The walls and floor gleamed reflectively, and the steel-plated buffet counter shone almost as bright as the ceiling lights. The occupants of the room had all but vanished, barring two men cleaning the dishes and a slim, dark-skinned woman standing in the kitchen, wiping down an oven. She turned around at the sounds of more feet.

"Hi Martha." She heard Ryker speak courteously.

"Andrew Ryker, who the hell have you brought with you?" She heard the woman say, mocking the tone of a scolding mother.

Ryker chuckled. "The new arrivals. They're bordering on malnourishment, so get them fed, okay?"

"Okay." She replied. Ellie saw the woman turn her gaze to her and Rider. "Do you girls eat as much as the men?"

Ellie and Rider both chuckled, and Adam snorted, while the others all just grinned.

"You bet!" Ellie replied happily, making herself smile warmly.

"That makes my job easy, then." She saw the woman smile. "Sit down, I'll have food out in a moment. Y'all can have your breakfast with me."

She did as she was told, along with the others, and sat at a nearby bench. Ryker told them he was needed in the Operations room, and left them shortly afterwards. She felt inherently at ease as Joel and Adam seated themselves opposite her, while Rider sat on her left. She noticed Adam sitting with his head in hands, breathing heavily.

"You okay?" She heard Joel ask him from the other side of the table.

"Yeah." He replied. "Just tired."

"I got something for tiredness." Joel spoke, and she saw him draw a small pouch, which he handed to the Watcher. She watched Adam open the sack, and draw a small syringe, filled with Evelynn's inhibitor.

"Thanks, Joel." He said, looking up at him and smiling. "My supply ran out two days ago."

"I took a few spares." The older man replied, smiling back. "Just in case."

She watched Adam stick the point of the syringe into the vein on the underside of his wrist, and drain the substance into his arm. To her left, Rider looked beyond puzzled.

"Drugs?" She asked warily.

"No, not drugs." She heard Adam reply as he slid the syringe across the table, back to Joel. "Much more complex than drugs."

"Long story." Ellie told the elder girl sitting next to her. "Tell you later."

"All right." She watched Rider speak, her head turning away from them with a degree of awkwardness.

They chatted casually about nothing in particular for a few minutes, and laughed hysterically when Joel gave in and told stories about his twenty-first birthday. She had silently wished that she could experience happiness and social pleasure like the men playing cards she'd seen on the way in, and someone had obviously thought she deserved having that wish granted. A few minutes later, Martha returned with a platter of bread and one of meat. She watched as the woman laid them down on the table, and sat down next to Adam. They all began tucking in, and while the food was basic, it was food nonetheless and gave her the greatest feeling of satisfaction it was possible to provide. Once her stomach was finally full, the men cleared the rest of the plate away and they sat chatting with Martha about nothing in particular. She loved every second of it; the relaxed nature it held, and how everyone was simply enjoying themselves, and not worrying about dying or needing to survive. It brought back profound memories of Tommy's that she sorely missed.

"So," Martha began, "who was that captive you guys brought in earlier?"

"The red-ring woman." Adam answered immediately, where she would've held back. "The racist one."

"Oh." She heard Martha reply, her head casting downwards. "Where is she now?"

"In the Safe." Rider commented.

"Good." Ellie watched Martha say happily, without smiling. "She deserves it. I met some racists in my time but she takes it to the next goddamn level."

"I agree." Rider finished.

She heard Rat's voice from behind them. It was quieter than usual, and there were lines scored down the dirt on his face. She noticed his eyes were slightly red, too.

"Are you guys finished?" He asked politely.

"Yeah." Adam replied, as she watched him stand. "Is it time?"

"It's time." She watched as Rat quickly disappeared around the corner.

They all stood to leave, and she thanked Martha gratefully. The woman told her how sweet she was, then disappeared back into the kitchen. She took a quick glance at a wall clock on her way out; they'd been in there just over an hour and three quarters.

She had lagged behind the others, and walked swiftly through the corridors, arriving outside the room. She pushed the door open, and saw Adam, Blufor, Joel and Rider standing at the side of the room, next to Ryker and Olivia. They didn't acknowledge her coming in; they all had their attention on Rat.

She focused on the leader, who appeared to be scribbling on a whiteboard.

Then, she looked past him. The door to the safe was open, and Chriss sat on the chair in the centre, in a pose that objectified defeat. Ellie noticed she had been crying… her eyes were swollen, and red. Streams of crimson poured down either side of her shaven head, coming from her ears.

"What the fuck happened?" Ellie asked, quietly, and shocked.

"Her eardrums burst." Adam replied, almost too casually. "She won't be able to hear us."

She glanced back at the woman, who was silent. She saw her mouth was slightly open, and she was panting as if she had been on a treadmill for the last hour. Her face, that wasn't stained with blood, was bright white.

She moved over to the rest of the group, and from her new position could see the writing on Rat's whiteboard. It read 'Will you answer us now?' in crude black letters.

He held it up to her.

"Yes." She heard the woman reply, pitifully.

She stood there in silence as Rat wiped the board down, and scribbled away again.

'Where are you keeping Dove?' the next board read.

"Our main base." Chriss said again.

Rat rubbed and scribbled for a final time.

The last board read:

'Where is the base?'

"The… the prison. On the other side of town."

She saw Rat drop the board to the ground, and Chriss drop her head in defeat. Ellie wondered what the leader would do next.

"Did you all hear that?" She heard him speak as he turned to face them.

"The prison." Adam confirmed.

"Yes." Rat replied. "You, Joel and Blufor, meet me in the Operations room in half an hour. Ryker, be there too."

"Yes, sir." She heard Ryker reply.

"What now?" She asked, her curiosity again getting the better of her.

Her question was answered as Adam drew his .44 Magnum from inside his jacket. She had wondered where it had gotten to. She looked at her own reflection in the gleaming chrome finish.

"You know what happens now." Rat told her.

"C'mon." A voice from behind her spoke. She felt Rider clasp her hand, and she held hers back. The elder girl made for the exit, and she followed, a fuzzy feeling mixing with the fear in her gut as they exited the room, and made down the corridor, away from the safe. When they reached the end of the corridor, a gunshot sounded, muffled through the walls, and they paused for a moment. Ellie sighed, but she was comforted when Rider's arms slid around her shoulder.

She wondered where they were going, until they reached a door in the makeshift housing section that simply read 'Rider'. She watched the elder girl turn the handle, and they walked inside together. When she turned the lights on, Ellie found Rider shared even more of her tastes; where a teenage girl's bedroom would usually be dominated by posters of boy-bands and the colour pink, Rider had collected large posters of metal bands and even the odd video game. She followed the elder girl, and set down next to her on her bed. She suddenly felt very hot, and nervous.

"You okay?" She heard Rider ask quietly.

"Yeah." She made herself reply. "I'm used to it."

"No one should have to get used to that."

"No, you're right." She admitted. "But we do anyway."

"Yeah." She was pleased when Rider decided to change the subject.

"Hey, I've got something to show you." The elder girl said, laying down on the floor and drawing a large cardboard box from under the frame of the bed. She noticed it was filled to the brim with old board games.

"Oh, no way!" She said in disbelief. "That's awesome!"

"I know." Rider replied, grinning. "Best of three?" She held out her hand to seal the bet.

"You're on." Ellie replied, smirking.

They played for hours, laughing and joking the entire time. Ellie had completely shut her out in the first two rounds, but Rider had made a late comeback and had ended up winning three in a row. She had demanded a rematch, and the elder girl obliged, which ended in a draw.

Later, they played a medieval-themed game, but stopped after they'd gotten frustrated with the complexity of all the pieces and just re-enacted full-scale battles on the board. Her knights had decimated Rider's cavalry, but the two armies had decided to unite after the third battle. They decided who would rule over a pillow fight, which took a surprisingly long amount of time. They collapsed on the bed next to each other at the conclusion, panting and laughing. She hadn't felt so happy in a long time, and it had been even longer since she'd spent all day having fun. She didn't know what the time was, and cared even less.

"You realize something, right?" Rider asked her.

"What?" She replied with a grin. "That you suck at pillow fights?"

She noticed Rider was deadly serious.

"No." She replied. "The red-ring gave us the location of the base. Rat wants Dove back as soon as possible… I'm gonna take a guess and say they've spent the day planning our attack."

"Yeah." Ellie admitted. "We're gonna see Ghost again."

"And Happy Sal." She heard Rider add. "I'll wager he's worse than Ghost."

"But, we'll get Dove back, and then find Amber."

"I hope not." Rider admitted beside her. "I want us to do well, but I hope not."

Ellie sat up on her elbows and looked at the older girl.

"Why not."

"Because… because then, you'll have to leave."

Rider also sat up on her shoulders, and turned to face Ellie, looking at her with those grey-white eyes.

"I'm not going to lie… I don't want you to leave."

Ellie felt the fuzzy nervousness rising in her gut.

"I don't want to leave either, I… I really like you."

"Same." Rider replied, smiling warmly.

"I mean," Ellie began, "I like spending time with you. Well, no, I actually just like you. You made me feel safe in the subway, when we ran, and ever since then you've been looking out for me and it's-"

She was silenced as Rider leant in and kissed her fully on the mouth. She hung there for a few seconds, and then slowly pulled back.

"I feel the same."

"I… I…" Ellie stammered. "We may all be dead tomorrow, you know that, right?"

The nervousness rose higher as Rider sat up, swung her leg over Ellie and sat on her waist. The elder girl leaned down, their faces drawing closer, her golden locks falling either side.

"I know." She heard her say. "If I die, I want to die with you."

"Me too." Ellie replied.

Rider bent down the last few inches, and their lips met again. Rider was a full two years her elder, but she didn't pay any attention to that. Their lips played together for a while, until she let her mouth fall open and felt Rider's tongue slip in. She'd never been kissed like that before; it was a peculiar yet stunning experience. She had at first been surprised by the motion, until she had realized how much she loved the taste of her and started using her tongue as well.

She felt hands slide up the side of her tank top, and her heart beat faster than it ever had in any life or death situation. Rider touched her tenderly, and she replied in the same manner, until the elder girl disconnected for a moment to take her shirt off, as she motioned to do the same.

Rider came back down again, and they rolled over, so that she was on the top. Warm feelings and happiness blossomed inside her. She had never felt so overjoyed in her entire life.

The sweetest things are the rarest, they say.


	19. Chapter 19 - The Eagle's Nest - VII

She cracked her eyes open slowly, the dimmed yellowish light of the ceiling lamp beginning to course through the split in her eyelids. She could still taste the girl on her tongue, and she ran it around her mouth, cherishing the stimulus and the feeling of ease it gave her.

She rolled over slightly, without raising herself, and let the blankets slip from her shoulders. She looked around the room, her groggy eyes absorbing the faded pictures of punk rockers and spaceships. The place felt like it could be a home to her. She felt as if she could make a home for herself here, with Ryker and Olivia and Rat and the others. She didn't want to go... but she got the overwhelming sense she would be made to soon, anyway.

The elder girl had moved from her spot on the bed next to her, the quilt thrown messily away and the under-sheet still heavily creased from where she had lain. She saw that she sat at the foot of the bed, quietly wrestling with a pair of thick, black combat boots. She noticed she was wearing a grey tank top with a bandoleer and thick, armoured cargo pants, and saw beautiful golden locks falling past her shoulders, coming to an end in the small of her athletic back.

Rider apparently heard her.

"Hey." She heard the elder girl say quietly, without turning around.

She leaned up to a sitting position, and let the duvet fall away from her abdomen, where she sat naked beneath. She had no problem revealing herself to Rider; she was the one of the only people she felt truly comfortable around.

"Hey." She heard herself reply, as she felt her face pull into a grin.

She watched the elder girl turn around, and look her over.

"You're beautiful." She said, smiling. "Has anyone ever told you that?"

"No." She made herself reply. "Thank you."

"No problem." She watched the blonde girl grin warmly at her, and then collect her lengthy hair in her hands. She marveled at the colours reflecting in her golden locks as she watched Rider neatly round them, plat them, and tie the plat into the side of her fringe. Suddenly, the mass of loose hair that had hung down only moment ago was contained in a tight, breathtaking bun. Ellie thought she looked stunning, but the hairstyle still pulled up red flags in her mind.

"What're you doing that for?" She asked courteously, unsure what the elder girl's motives were.

"Hair gets in the way in combat."

"Combat?"

"Yeah." She heard the elder girl say with a tinge of apprehension as she watched her stand up from bed and slowly traipse her way to the other side of the small apartment. She watched her arrive by a large, tramping backpack, which was empty, and begin stuffing cans of food and parts of a trauma kit from a pile beside it into the pack.

"Turns out I was right about what they were planning last night." She heard Rider say as she packed the bag. She glanced to the right of the elder teen, and saw an identical bag, and a large pile of what appeared to be combat clothing.

"The prison?" She asked, fearing she already knew the answer.

"Yeah." Rider confirmed. "We're following the lead on Dove."

She sighed, sat up, and resting her head in her hands, tried to shake the morning grogginess from her brain. She had slept heavily the previous night, and with Rider next to her, hadn't woken up out of cold or nightmares. She thought it was the first night in a long time that she'd actually slept straight through.

"When do we leave?" She asked, trying to grasp the situation a little more.

"I don't know." Rider replied as she packed hurriedly. "They were leaving that down to Rat and the others in the Ops room. I think they're almost done with the plan and the contingencies."

"Multiple contingencies?" She asked, surprised.

She saw Rider pause for a moment.

"Yeah." The elder girl admitted. "There's a lot of things that could go wrong, or different. Either way, they'll be calling us soon."

"Right." She rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. "What's the time?"

She watched Rider check her wristwatch.

"Ten thirty-five." She resumed packing. "We should probably go and-"

Rider was cut off as there was a loud, yet friendly-sounding knock on her door. She watched the elder girl place the items in her hand gently down on the floor, and walk elegantly to the small, wooden door. She saw her hover next to it as she spoke.

"Who is it?" She asked bluntly.

"Delivery service."

She watched as Rider grasped the handle and open the door without hesitation. She saw the small wooden pallet slip open quickly, and Adam's large figure step into the apartment, his arms carrying a payload of what appeared to be weapons. He had changed his outfit from the previous day, she saw; where he had worn old jeans, workman's dog boots, a white t-shirt and a sun-faded brown bomber jacket, he was now decked out in what she believed to be the underclothes for a full suit of tactical armour, of which there were more layers to don yet. She saw his hair and beard were still long and ragged, clinging to his pale face.

He moved into the centre of the room, bulked up even more than usual by his clothing, and turned towards the backpacks. She watched him place the guns down with a clatter, and yanked the blankets up around her bear breasts as he swiveled around and looked straight at her. She blushed out of shame, and wore a look of guilt.

He simply stood there for a moment, perplexed, until a knowing smirk creased through his rugged beard. She watched him nod at her courteously, and then turn and kneel to attend to his weapons.

"I wouldn't let Joel catch you like that." She heard him say as she watched him fiddle with a shotgun.

"I'll admit, I'm glad it was you."

"I'll take that as a compliment." He joked, not turning to her as he answered.

She paused for a few seconds.

"You wont tell anyone, will you?" She then asked him with a surprising amount of desperation in her voice.

Rider reached his side, and also wore a look of suspense.

She saw him turn his head to her, and smile.

"Not a word." He uttered. She immediately felt relived, and Rider looked almost as happy as she was that he'd guard their secret. He fiddled some more, and then stood and walked past Rider to make his way to the exit.

"Meet us in the Operations room in twenty minutes." She heard him command as he walked out.

She moved to raise herself from the bed, and take the naked stroll across the room to her new clothes. She didn't make it half an inch before Adam came back in through the door and she jumped back under the covers, yelping.

"I almost forgot." He said, coming to a halt just in front of her. She watched him undo his jacket a fraction, slip a gloved hand in, and slide the gleaming .44 Magnum out from inside the black ballistics fabric. He took the gun by the barrel, and offered her the hilt.

"That's yours, Annie Oakley, remember?" She nodded and clasped the hilt with a free hand. The familiar and safe weight of the heavy pistol felt good in her grip. She smiled at him, then watched him turn and exit.

"Twenty minutes, okay?" He spoke as he left.

"Yeah." She heard Rider reply as she shut the door behind him.

The two girls made eye contact for a moment.

"Fuck..." She said, struggling not to laugh. "Talk about awkward."

She saw Rider struggling to suppress a smile as well.

"Like you said." She spoke between chuckles. "Coulda been worse than him."

Confident any more surprise visitors were unlikely, she threw the covers off and walked across the room on bare feet to where the backpacks and her clothes lay. She noticed Rider following her with her eyes the entire way.

She reached her clothes, and began sorting through them slowly. There were thermal underlayers, windbreakers, thick combat pants and a padded jacket, sturdy, black boots, that whilst they looked old as hell were surprisingly clean, and a heavy vest with a plate of metal in the front, sides and rear. There were also miscellaneous objects, she noted; a set of belt pouches, a bandoleer identical to Rider's, and a strange looking pair of goggles with the letters 'NV' crudely written on the side. She slipped them over her head briefly, wincing as the rubber headband pulled her hair. She flicked the goggles down over her eyes. They had no battery, and wouldn't light up, but the room laid out before her filtered in hues of green through the coloured lenses.

"Cool." She said.

She heard Rider chuckle from behind her.

"You might wanna put pants on before those."

She thought it was a decent idea as well. After flicking the goggles up but not taking them off, she donned her underwear, slipped her bare arms underneath the pile of clothing and padded across the room to Rider's on-suite. She opened the door to the tiny bathroom, and stepped inside. The place was improvised, she saw; obviously, operating rooms weren't fitted with toilets. Despite the clear do-it-yourself nature of the construction, it was well-built, and impeccably clean, with a laminated lino floor that was cold beneath her bare feet.

She felt a shiver shoot up her; the temperature in the bathroom was a few degrees colder than the room she'd spent the night in. She gazed at herself in a mirror that was plastered on the wall as she leaned on the sides of the sink. Her body was thin, that much was obvious, but in recent times she had noticed herself gaining a certain athleticism that she had lacked at Tommy's. During the two years they had spent there, she and Joel had both softened to a degree; she only truly noticed how much now. However, her strength was returning, and more so than before. The loose skin she had had starting to gather around her waist and stomach was gone, and there were now only lines of definition on either side. She could see her ribs through her chest, and that annoyed her somewhat, but she knew her recent diet hadn't particularly allowed for weight gain.

She slid the combat pants over her legs first, buckling them firmly around her slim waist. They sat properly, and well, but were the heaviest pants she'd ever worn; she wondered about their weight affecting her movement, but placated those worries when she noticed pocket after pocket down the side that were sure to come in handy. Thick, woolen socks were next, followed by the boots, which gave an extra inch to her height.

The weather above ground would be hot, especially in the sun, she knew, so she forsook the three layers of upper-body clothing and merely slipped on her white tank top from the previous night. She debated wearing the vest that had been provided - the armour was nowhere near as sturdy as Adam's, containing strips of Kevlar instead of plates of steel alloy – and dropped it to the ground with a dull thud, deciding to give it a miss this time.

She scooped up another item that she had brought in with her from the pile; a large leather strap, designed for encircling a torso, with a shoulder-pad like Rider's bandoleer and a pistol holster stitched carefully to it. She placed it on her person, then adjusted and buckled it so that the holster sat just below her sternum. She wrapped her hand around the hilt of the Magnum again, and brought it up to her face. Flicking open the chamber, she saw it primed with six gleaming, new rounds of .44 calibre. She flicked the chamber back in and slid the large handgun into the holster. She thought to remind herself to ask if there was more ammunition than that.

The jacket came last, and she threw it over her shoulders, leaving the front unzipped. It was almost twice as heavy as the pants, with shoulder and elbow reinforcement, and lighter padding on the chest and back. She felt solid, protective plastic tracing a line down the back of the jacket where her spine was located. Without the zipper done up, she felt instantly warmer, and sighed a little at how she'd just have to deal with the heat of the sun.

She picked up the items she hadn't used, glanced at herself in the mirror one last time, and headed back out into the apartment, shutting the door carefully behind her.

"All done?" She heard Rider ask as she walked back around to the bed.

"Just about." She replied. "What do you think?" She gestured to her clothing.

"Nice." Rider replied with a wide grin.

"Thanks." She glanced down briefly, rubbing her arm with her hand. "How much time do we have?"

"About ten minutes." Rider replied, standing up from her seat on the bed and moving over to the pile of weaponry that Adam had brought in a few minutes previously.

"We pick what we want here." The elder girl said, sorting through the guns. "We get the ammo and reserve supplies on the way out."

"Why the camping packs?" She asked, motioning forward towards Rider.

She saw Rider stop what she was doing and glance up at her.

"We don't know how long we're gonna be out there for." She saw the elder girl sigh. "Better to have it and not need it, right?"

"Yeah." Ellie said, moving across the room next to her, and kneeling down by the pile of weapons. "What've we got here?" She asked.

"Most of these are handmade." Rider answered her, as she watched the elder girl pick up an example from the pile. It was rusted slightly, and cobbled together, but she thought that made it look even more menacing. "Adam managed to get into the armoury early and score us a couple of the military-grade guns."

"Like this?" Ellie slide her hand past a bunch of rifles and shotguns, and pulled up a smallish sniper, which she saw had a magnification scope on the top attachment rail. She pulled it up, and sighted the scope. It didn't magnify as much as she would have liked; she glanced to the side of the optic, and saw the word 'ACOG' written next to a big '4X'.

"Yeah, like that." She saw Rider collect a homemade carbine, relatively small and compact, in addition to the matte-green military-grade pistol she'd claimed earlier. "This ought to do me."

"Me too." Ellie raised herself from her position, and slung one of the large backpacks over her shoulders, nestling the sniper in her arms.

"We ought to go." Rider said as she watched her do the same. She followed the elder to the door, and through it after she opened it up. She moved out into the hallway of her own accord, as Rider shut the apartment and locked it shut behind her. Once she was ready, the two moved down the hallway together, towards the Operations room.

She saw that everyone left in the ward was mobilising. She saw men and women of different ages and races scurrying backwards and forwards down corridors, bustling past them, in and out of apartments, conversing with others or carrying goods. Three men moved past her and Rider, wearing the oddest combat gear she'd ever seen. One of them wore the same underlayers as Adam had, but the other two had their top layers equipped. She saw thick, baggy jackets and pants, and the exterior of the arms and legs were patterned with small, square steel plates, which were stitched into the fabric, and looked to her like patches of scales. They wore metal shin-braces as well, and she quickly saw her own reflection in the polished but dented metal surface of their full-face combat helmets. She lost sight of them as they pushed past, out towards Gate one.

They rounded a corner to the corridor that housed the cafeteria and the armoury. Glancing in from where she was, she noticed the armoury was all but empty, as opposed to the day before, when it had been full to bursting with weapons and ammo. She followed after Rider, until she saw a large woman move in rank next to them.

"Morning, girls." She heard her speak, confirming her identity as Olivia when she turned her head to look at her. She saw the woman wore the same weird, scaled armour, but neglected the helmet, her black boy-cut hanging loosely. She carried a large assault rifle in her arms, which Ellie noticed was military-grade.

"Hey, Olivia." She heard Rider reply as they briskly walked past the cafeteria. "Any word yet?"

"Not yet." Olivia replied. "You two are kitted out well." Ellie saw the stocky woman turn her gaze to her. "M40A5. Nice. Do you know how to use that thing?"

"Of course I do." Ellie replied defensively. "I wouldn't have picked it otherwise."

She watched Olivia pick up her pace, walk in front of them, turn to face them, raise her hands and walk backwards through the double door.

"Just asking. I get the hunch we won't be able to afford missed shots."

They emerged into the Operations room, which was full beyond capacity. There were eight men, she saw, who were all armed and combat-ready. Ryker was one of them, and she saw him smile at her as she walked in. They wore urban tactical gear, with beanies and Kevlar vests. She was impressed at how they were all almost identically uniformed. Whilst this, she couldn't help but think they looked like red-rings instead of the free men Adam had preached about.

Upon looking around the room, she saw more familiar faces. Blufor was there, wearing a similar get-up to the other men, except she noticed he had added a large, deep-green, waterproof trench coat to the outfit. She saw he was leaning over the planning table with Rat, who was dressed almost as lightly as she was. Perhaps he valued speed in movement as well. Joel and Adam were there too, both wearing that odd, steel-scaled armour. Neither of them had helmets like the other men she'd seen, but wore metal neck-guards in addition to their protective jackets. She thought they looked huge normally, but in their kit, both of the men appeared gargantuan.

She saw Adam look up and notice her, Rider and Olivia.

"They're here." She heard the Scotsman say aloud.

"Just about time, too." Rat spoke. She saw him look up from the table. "We need you three for briefing."

"Okay." Ellie said, taking a step forward. She felt Rider move up beside her, but the elder girl remained silent.

"We've mobilised." Rat began. "Thanks to Chriss, we now, at least, have a place to assault. There are no guarantees there will be anything there but infected and cobwebs, but it's better than nothing."

"What've you planned?" Rider asked.

She saw Rat turn his head towards Joel.

"You had the idea." The leader spoke to her protector. "Why don't you tell them?"

She saw Joel nod at the leader, and move, somewhat awkwardly in his new gear, to take Rat's position at the table.

"Rat told you we're assaulting the prison, and we're doing just that." She saw him look around the room, making eye contact briefly with everyone as he passed them over with his vision. It was odd to see him leading in that manner. "A front on attack would be a suicide mission. If we ain't gunned down by the last two red-rings, we'd get chewed to pieces before we get through the gates. So here's what's gonna happen."

She saw him stand up from leaning into the table, and walk slowly around to Adam as he talked.

"We're doin' a simple pincer attack. Twelve men in each team, which'll round off everyone here nicely."

She watched him rest his hand on Adam's shoulder.

"There'll be two team leaders, Adam, and myself. We'll stay in contact as much as we gotta. Other than that, radios are off. One group goes for the prison up top, the other takes the subway. That way, if we meet resistance, it's likely one of us is gonna get in."

She looked around the room, as the men and women present nodded approvingly, and Joel continued.

"From there, we find Dove, and anyone else they got locked up in there."

She saw him double around, and scoop a huge, heavy-looking gun mechanism, attached to what appeared to be a gasoline tank, and nestle the weapon in his arms.

"Most people are gonna be armed pretty lightly, but we aren't too sure what we're gonna find down there. So, there'll be two heavy units per squad. One flamethrower, one rocket launcher. These units, which include me and Adam, are gonna shout like hell before we fire anything, so you better get your asses clear or you'll be going up with the infected."

She glanced around the room again. More nodding, and more silence.

"Rat's going solo, running recon. If he sees anything he don't like, we all pull out. Yeah?"

"Yeah." She heard Olivia, Ryker, and a couple of other men reply in unison.

"Then, what're we waiting for?" She watched Rat double around, pick up a sniper rifle much larger than hers, and move towards the doorway. "Teams to their respective gates." He said as he left the room, members of the band of mercs in tow behind their leader.

She threw the sniper rifle up a little, catching it back in her arms and feeling its weight. It was comforting, but not to the same level as the Magnum, and she could feel the familiar feeling of fear rising in her stomach.

She almost didn't notice that Joel had approached her.

"You ready, kiddo?"

"Yeah." She replied. She looked up, and made herself meet his gaze. "But, I thought you said you didn't want us getting involved in anything like this, I-"

"Ellie, it's okay." She heard her protector say, cutting her off. "I realised I was wrong to try and control you like that." That statement took her aback. She wasn't sure she didn't want Joel controlling her.

"You're more than capable, now." He continued. "Hell, you're practically looking after me."

"If you say so." She replied, still looking into his aged eyes. She could noticeably see the tiny streaks of yellow in his irises. "So, what team are Rider and me?"

"Two." Joel replied, smiling. "You're with Blufor and I. We're gonna keep you safe."

"Good." She said thankfully, smiling tenderly and looking down at the floor.

"I'm scared, Joel." She admitted to him.

"That's fine." He said, kneeling to her height, an awkward movement in his thick armour. "'Cause I am too."

"We're gonna be all right, aren't we?"

"We're gonna be fine." She heard him reply. "Once we've got Amber, we're gonna leave this shit of a city behind. Just a little bit more, okay?"

"Okay."

She watched as Adam walked behind them, and placed his arm over Joel's shoulders as he stood.

"See you on the other side, big guy." She saw he was carrying a large machine gun in addition to the RPG slung over his back. "Keep in touch, okay?"

"You got it." Joel replied, as she heard him slap Adam on the back. "Stay safe."

"Will do." She saw the Watcher turn away from them, and move out the door, marshaling his men. "Team One, to the gate!" She heard him shout down the hallway.

"Looks like it's that time." She heard Blufor say, as he approached from behind Joel, an assault rifle in his arms.

"Looks like it is." She watched Joel say to him, sighing slightly as she saw him mentally preparing. After a few moments, she saw his business face slip on, and any trace of a smile that'd been there before had vanished, to be replaced with a determined scowl. When he finished collecting himself, she began to follow him out, with Rider and Blufor in tow. She noticed Olivia walking behind her, the large woman's heavy footfalls distinguishable from the others. She hadn't seen Ryker, though; she guessed he had gone with group One.

"Group Two, to the gate!" She heard Joel bellow down the corridor. A handful of armed men and another woman exited from apartments and the armoury, and walked towards Joel. She saw him nod at their arrival, then turn and begin walking down to Radiology. She assumed that the other people in the team had already had their briefs.

She listened to the atonal chorus of combat boots as they strode down the corridor. There were about twelve men with them – Joel's estimate had been right – but they had passed two or three who had stayed to hold down the fort in the Ward. She hadn't seen Martha gearing up, either.

She felt an odd feeling as they passed the rooms that held the five identical, huge metal safes. It was a feeling of unease, and it set her on edge; not horror, but something very close to it. She still remembered the look on Chriss' tortured face after the door had been swung open, and how the blood had been pouring out of her ears.

They passed the interrogation rooms quickly, and filed through the strong metal door that separated the corridor and the delivery bay. She noticed the extra strain her equipment was giving her even more so when they ascended the ramp, and she fell slightly behind the fitter and larger men that advanced before her. Despite that, she felt better than she had in a long time. When she traveled with Joel, and even initially with Adam and Evelynn, it had always been just them. Now, there was a wealth of human life, and it made her feel stronger. Safety in numbers, they say.

She reached the top of the ramp and emerged into the delivery bay behind most of the others. There were two vehicles laid out for them, she saw, already fully prepped and ready for excursion. One of them was Rat's SUV. She saw the dull glint of the fluorescent lights off its black, gloss finish, and large backpacks that had been attached to either side of the car at the rear, lashed on via the roof-rack and the rear wheel-wells. She moved her vision left, and next to it saw a flatbed truck with the biggest tires she'd ever seen on a road car, with room in the bed for people. The machine gun that had originally defended the bay here was instead attached to a stand spot-welded to the vehicle's tailgate.

Joel made for the SUV with Blufor in tow, and she followed them, Rider trailing just behind her. She saw Olivia split off from them, and throw the driver's door of the pickup open, climbing into the seat and starting its huge engine.

She took the shotgun seat in the SUV, next to Joel, who climbed into the driver's side a moment later. She heard Rider get in quietly in the back, and saw Blufor walk in front of them, towards the corrugated door. She sat there watching him as Joel turned the key in her peripheral, and she felt the SUV roar into life, the sound mixing with that of the flatbed and filling the delivery bay. Joel edged the SUV forward slowly, just coming up behind Blufor, who she watched raise the door with nothing but the strength of his arms. He held it up for them, and she kept her gaze on him as they pulled out into the crisp, cool morning light.

Once outside, they stopped briefly, and she felt the vehicle come to a halt with a small jump forward. The flatbed pulled out past them, and she made eye contact with a couple of the men in the back as they trundled past. She didn't know any of them; that alone made her a little nervous.

She heard Blufor open the door opposite where Rider was sitting, and jump in quickly beside her. The door shut again, and she felt the momentum of the car begin to take hold of her as they moved forward, and turned left, into the parking lot of the hospital. She took a few more moments to marvel at the crashed passenger jet protruding out the side of the massive, grey building. She stared at it silently, a tribute to those who died both on board and inside the building. Given what they were about to face, to her it seemed wholly appropriate.

They had left out of the smaller gate, and she saw the flatbed that Olivia was driving wheel around into a parking spot, and felt Joel swing the SUV into one close by. She couldn't see the cars that she assumed the other team had gone in; they must have left a lot more quickly than she had thought.

She saw Joel raise his hands from the wheel, and press a button on his walkie-talkie, which was fastened to his lapel by a thin elasticated strip of fabric.

"Team two leader to Team one leader, over."

She listened attentively for a reply, only hearing silence to begin with.

"_Adam here. Radio check. Team two, number two, come in, over."_

She hadn't realised the radios were multi-frequency; that was sure to make communication considerably easier.

_"Team two, number two_, _here." _It was Olivia's voice that she heard through the small device. Surely enough, glancing over to the flatbed a few spaces away from them, she saw the bulky woman with a large hand on her radio.

"Good." She heard Joel talk into the device next to her. "Team one number two, come in, over."

Moments later, she heard Ryker's reply emanate from the radio.

_"Team one number two, Ryker here. We all set?"_

_ "Sure are." _Adam's voice replied. _"Rat, you there?"_

There were a few moments of deadly silence. She glanced up at Joel, who looked back down at her with a worried expression. She remembered Rat having just walked out... where was he?

She heard the radio crackle, and pop loudly. She twitched at the noise, and saw Joel wince.

_"Rat?" _She heard Adam's voice ask again.

_"Yeah, yeah, I'm here." _She listened to the leader's melancholy voice relay. _"Just sat on the damn thing, sorry. I'm four hundred out from the prison, on a rooftop. Looks clear from up here. Ground team, move in. Subway team, be on your toes. I sure as hell don't have eyes underground."_

"_Copy." _Adam replied. _"You're clear to go in from the top, Joel."_

"Got it." Se heard her protector speak into the radio. "Infected, Rat?"

She waited in apprehension for an answer, as another few moments of silence followed.

_"Minimal." _Came the reply. _"Saw quite a few on my way here, but well inside buildings. Seen nothing overly scary. Yet."_

"Thanks." She heard Joel speak. "Out."

She flinched slightly as the radio crackled, breaking the connection with the others. She watched Joel pull the handbrake up again, signal to Olivia in the other car, and pull out of the parking space, shunting another rusted-out car out of the way with the front of the sturdy SUV.

"How'd he get there so quickly?" She asked, not being able to help herself.

"He's got his own motorcycle." She heard Rider respond from the back, meeting her grey-white eyes in the rear-view mirror. "He calls it his baby. Hunk of shit, to be perfectly honest, but it gets him places quickly enough."

She wondered to herself how economical riding a motorcycle in this world would be. She knew it could only take one passenger, and you sure as hell couldn't pack anything in it. Still, she thought it was a fitting match for Rat. He was proving himself to be a bit of a lone-wolf-leader.

She felt Joel trundle the SUV out of the parking lot, ahead of Olivia this time, and wheel it around left, into the street. It veered slightly on its way out, and she heard him curse under his breath as the tyres slid slightly. She nestled the sniper rifle in her lap, and gently edged the small magazine out the bottom of the gun to examine the contents of the clip. There were five medium-calibre shells sitting in the magazine, she saw, and a sixth already chambered. She slid the clip back in, and pushed bolt forward with a dull click.

"We've got more ammo in the back." She heard Blufor say from behind her. "In case you're wondering."

"Yeah." She replied. "I think I'm gonna need more than six rounds."

"I don't know." Joel said, smiling at her over the top of his metal neck-guard. "Adam tells me you can do a lot with six bullets."

She chose not to reply, only smile at him. She didn't not want to reply, but the fear that was building up in her gut held real words back from her mind, and anything she chose to say would be irrelevant or awkward.

She hardly noticed the car journey slip by; her mind was focused on other things, involving her analytically assessing almost every outcome she could think of for how their assault was going to go down. She didn't want to dwell on the subject, but couldn't help it. She did this when she was nervous about something. She felt like a child again; not a woman, like she'd felt the day before. The waiting – she hated the waiting more than any encounter with clickers or bandits – was killing her. They idled past a bunch of shops, newsagents and storefronts, the pinnacle of excitement being when they drove through the middle of the city, right in the CBD, and saw the odd infected dart out into the street after the cars. She swallowed every time it happened, expecting a dozen more to pile out behind it or a Titan to burst open the whole front of a store, but that never happened.

She noticed everyone else sat in silence as well. The only noises she could hear were the thrum of the engine, the heavy breathing in the car, and Blufor constantly sliding the bolt of his assault rifle backwards and forwards with a dull clink. No one had the urge to tell him to stop, though. Even the radio was silent.

She was practically dying from stress, when their seemingly endless trip through suburbia subsided, and they turned down a side-street and came into view of a large, practically windowless building set apart from all the others, the courtyard separated from the exterior street by two layers of high, barbed-wire topped chain link fencing. She saw a huge amount of moss and foliage growing from the flat roof of the building, and water poured out of cracks in the concrete surfaces.

"We're here." She heard Joel say rather grimly as they approached the gates. She swerved with the car as he pulled it up into a residential driveway nearby, and watched as Olivia's flatbed pull up next to her and the rest of the men jump out of the back. She was the first out of the SUV, swinging her door open and making for the boot, breathing in the cool and fresh air. It tasted nicer out here than it had in the hospital, she had to admit.

She opened the door to the boot just as the others got out, the cool metal stinging her hand slightly. Surely enough, piled in the back were crates of bullets and grenades. She sifted through the small boxes and magazines until she found two labelled '.44' and one labelled '.308', which contained more than fifteen rounds for the sniper she carried. It'd been a long time since she'd been exposed to such an abundance of ammunition.

Blufor and Rider had already moved around beside her, and she saw Joel head over to her side last. He took a small, metal tank from the trunk, and loaded it into the underside of his flamethrower's structure, the ammo connecting with a tiny clink. She watched him draw an assault rifle he'd stowed from the pile in the back of the car, move the flamethrower to his back and hold the rifle in his arms, then carefully stow three clips of ammo inside his thick jacket.

Another man walked up behind them, and she turned slightly to see he was one of the 'heavy units', with that same, unusual scaled armour. He carried an assault rifle, but she also saw the tube of a more modern looking RPG on his back. The rockets he picked up from the boot were different; there were only two of them, and they were strange, cylindrical, and had the word 'SMAW' written on their sides. She wished that she was strong enough to carry such a weapon; it looked like it'd make mincemeat of any infected; even Rider's RPG had taken a Titan down in one shot.

She saw Joel again attend to the radio on his lapel.

"Team one, in position, over."

_"Yeah, I see you." _She heard Rat's voice reply out of the small device. _"Look to the Smith & Western building, a few blocks back."_

She watched Joel turn to face behind her, and swiveled around to do the same. The Smith & Western building was a semi-high rise, and she thought it looked rather out of place in the suburban area. It was next to other tall buildings, she saw, but all of them were minuscule in comparison to the skyscrapers in the CBD.

Surely enough, after a moment, she saw a glint reflect from the roof in her eyes, then again, and a third time.

"I see you too." Joel spoke into his radio, raising his hand, giving a small wave. She imagined that Rat would be able to see it down his scope.

_"Good. Adam, you there?" _

_"Sound and copy." _Adam's voice replied. She did think all the military jargon was a little overkill.

_"You in position?"_

_ "Almost." _Adam responded. _"Entering the subway now. ETA to the prison station, ten minutes, barring interruptions." _

She heard Joel huff next to her.

"Barring interruptions..." He muttered satirically, sharing her thoughts that it would be highly unlikely there weren't any.

She listened to Joel sigh, and then watched him return to his radio as Olivia arrived next to her, with her men in tow.

"Thoughts?" She heard him ask his radio.

There was a moment of silence.

"_Go ahead of us." _Adam replied.

_"I agree." _She heard Rat say. _"I've got a line of sight on you, anyway. Move in. Adam, hurry it up."_

_ "Will do. Out."_

The radio cut silent, again.

She turned to face the prison, and the large, almostt windowless structure loomed before her. The courtyard looked practically impenetrable; she supposed that much was to be expected.

"How're we gonna get in?" She asked, not to anyone in particular.

She heard no reply, and was about to ask a second time more forcibly, until Blufor shrugged and walked past her, making for the fencing. It only took him about half a minute to get there, and as he did, the others followed suit, interested to see what he had to contribute. She shut the trunk of the SUV and tagged along behind, her nerves high. She watched him grip the chain link and heave himself up, slowly, foot by foot, until he, his gear, and his heavy weapons had scaled the ten meter fence. She saw him clip the front of his backpack through the links, and then lean backward, allowing him to be suspended from it, hands-free. She watched in disbelief as he pulled a large knife from its sheath, carefully cut through three layers of barbed wire, remove a section, climb over, and drop down into the walkway between the two fences.

"Not bad." She heard Joel admit from her left, making a move towards the fence.

"C'mon, it's easy!" Blufor hollered, before she saw him double around and begin scaling the second fence.

Joel went up next, and she waited for him to get a few meters up before she followed. The climb was harder for her; she felt her arms and shoulders straining, and her fingers were in intense pain after having to deal with the inadequate handholds. She paused for a moment at the top of the fence, and then let herself fall, bending her knees as she landed. She stumbled slightly due to the extra weight in her backpack, and winced at the jarring of her feet. Joel helped her up, then started scaling the second fence as Rider landed next to them, and Blufor came down inside the main courtyard.

It took them a good ten minutes to get everyone over. The other 'heavy unit' got his SMAW stuck in the wire, and she and Olivia had to waste an extra few minutes trying to get him untangled. Once they were all safely on the other side, they reconvened. She gazed around the compound. The front doors of the prison were flung open, a hundred meters or so away. She saw rusted out meat-wagons and cop cars, and there were moss-covered jersey barriers strewn intermittently throughout the area, mainly next to old, rotting military Humvees.

She heard Joel's radio crackle into life on his lapel, and saw the rest of the group stiffen. Some of them had moved off to investigate the cars, but she noticed them double around at the sound.

_"Team one, in position. Just outside the entrance to the Prison station. Sorry for the delay."_

_ "No problem." _Rat's voice replied. _"Team two, are you in?"_

"Sure are." Joel answered into the radio.

_"All right. Engage. Good luck, boys."_

With that comment, she saw Joel gesture to the door, and heard a dozen safeties being switched off. She noticed the other 'heavy unit' had taken point, his rocket tube loaded and resting over his shoulder.

He didn't get five meters before there was a loud bang, and the back of his head exploded right by her.

She yelped at the blood spray, just avoiding it, and dropped to the floor.

_"Split!_" She heard Joel bellow from just behind her. "Find cover, but push up to the building!"

She found cover behind a ruined cop car, the metal hiding her from the unidentified sniper. She heard another loud shot, and saw a second man fall to her right, his head falling open on the concrete.

"Dammit!" She heard Olivia scream from her left. "Where the fuck is he?"

She saw Blufor raise his head above a jersey barrier to her right, and her heart sank as she thought the squadmate had condemned himself.

There was a bang, and he ducked down, just before the bullet skimmed over the top of the barrier. She saw a hole torn in the parking lot mere meters behind him, where the bullet had struck.

"Muzzle flash, in the building, south corner!" She heard him shout across to Olivia. She was impressed by the bravery and precision of his spotting.

She felt the frame of the car she used as cover move as a person landed next to her. She turned her head to see Rider, who'd crashed down next to her, and was breathing heavily.

"Fuck, are you all right?" She asked the elder girl, panting, her heart high in her throat.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm good." She managed between breaths. "Told you we'd see him again."

She hoped that the sniper wasn't the adversary that Rider was alluding to.

She decided to act. Blufor had identified the South corner.

She quickly raised herself from behind the car, and saw the scope glint from one of the minuscule windows at the corner of the building furthest away from them. She aimed, and pulled the trigger... only a dull click came from her gun.

A bang sounded, and she yelped, throwing herself back down behind cover. The bullet flew over the top of the car, exactly where her head had been a moment ago. She wondered what had happened... until she glanced down at the rifle, and saw she hadn't pushed the bolt in properly.

"Fucks sake!" She muttered under her breath, scolding herself, priming the rifle again. She heard assault rifles peppering from around her. She glanced at Joel to see him try and lean out, only to have the corner of the jersey barrier he was covering behind break away right by his head, showering him in concrete dust.

"Goddamnit, we're pinned down!" He yelled.

She was about to raise herself to take another shot, when Joel's radio burst into life, fighting against the din of gunshots.

_"We've got a contact..." _She heard Adam enunciate between assault rifle bursts. _"Using a grenade launcher, he's... ...lost two men already!"_

"We've been engaged as well!" She heard Joel scream into his radio. "Sniper, singular!"

"_Fuck!" _Rat's voice echoed out of the radio. _"I don't have a visual on him!"_

She heard Joel growl in anger, and watched him try to peek again, until another section of jersey barrier was ripped away right by his head, this time a large chunk of concrete sending a gash down the side of his face.

"Joel!" She shouted to him.

"I'm okay!" She heard back, watching him clasp the wound with a free hand.

"Sniper's changing position!" Blufor shouted from her right.

"If you need to move, do it _now!_" She heard Olivia holler.

She decided it was time to move up, and out of adrenaline, sprinted out from the car and up to a jersey barrier about fifty feet from her, next to a Humvee. She had left Rider sitting behind the cop car before the elder girl could object, leaving a surprised look plastered across her face. She was being driven by adrenaline, now; she wasn't going to let any more of her friends die.

She raised her head slightly, to look through the fogged-up windows of the military car. She scanned the walls of the building for any sign of the sniper... and then found what she was looking for. The skull on the burlap sack popped up to shoulder height in a closer window, and fired a shot at one of Olivia's men, the bullet luckily skimming him and ricocheting off the side of his ballistics helmet. She saw the man fall to the floor with the force of the impact, shake his head, and then recover.

She pulled her body up from behind the cover, and rested the underside of the rifle on the roof. She aimed her crosshair at the red-ring, and pulled the trigger... the bullet fell short by twenty meters.

"Shit!" She shouted, ducking back down.

"He's changed again!" Came Blufor's intel, muffled from behind her.

_"Push up!"_ Joel shouted. She heard the footfalls of the men behind her, and Rider caught up to her position. The elder girl threw herself down hard next to her again.

"Don't fucking do that to me!" She heard her say, panting.

"Sorry!" She replied, not focusing on the elder girl at the moment.

"Anyone have a visual?" Blufor bellowed across the courtyard.

There were a few moments of painful silence, until one of Olivia's men spoke up.

"Up there, top floor, centre!"

Ellie breathed in deeply, and raised her rifle upwards, pointing the crosshair at the top window. There was no one there when she looked, but she raised her rifle to aim with the first mill-dot beneath the crosshair regardless.

She saw the burlap sack appear behind a rifle down her scope. Luckily, he wasn't looking at her; he fired at Blufor, who ducked his head, and she heard him swear loudly as the round skimmed just above the back of his neck and tore through his backpack, destroying everything in it, and ripped out of the bottom.

She aimed at the red-ring, and fired a shot. She slipped and jolted at the last moment, and the bullet smacked into the brickwork two meters to the left of her target. She swore at her ineptitude with the rifle; it'd been a long time since she'd used a decent one like this. She fell behind the car, pulled the bolt back, and the used cartridge popped out the side of the gun and tinkled to the floor.

She saw that Ghost hadn't reacted to the shot and held his position. Maybe he hadn't noticed it among the volleys that the assault rifles were showering him with. She saw him fire again, the bullet striking the metal door right by Olivia's head. The sound of the impact stunned the woman, and Ellie saw her fall head-first into the open.

"Olivia!" She heard Rider scream from next to her.

She looked quickly down her scope to see Ghost pushing the bolt back in, a much larger cartridge leave the chamber of his gun, and then him leaning back into the scope, no doubt training his sight on Olivia.

She took a deep breath, aimed the mill-dot at him, and fired on her exhalation.

There was a brief delay before she saw a spray of blood explode out of Ghost's shoulder, and the sniper fell away from the window.

She'd hit him.

"I hit him." She muttered to herself in disbelief. Then, realising the significance, she raised her voice.

"I hit him!" She shouted to the others.

"Copy, sniper down!" She heard Blufor confirm.

_"Move in!"_ Joel commanded from behind her, moving to help Olivia off the ground, and rush her into the prison entrance.

Ellie glanced briefly at Rider, nodded, and threw herself around the Humvee, bolting for the open doors of the prison's reception hall. She made the run in moments, the first through the door, as the remaining nine survivors piled in after her. She watched Blufor and Joel swing the double-doors shut, then saw Blufor cram his assault rifle through the handles, locking it in place.

"Damn thing jammed." She heard him justify. "Almost killed me."

She watched him draw a 9mm pistol from his belt, and flick the safety off.

She heard Joel issuing into his radio again.

_"_Rat, Adam, we're inside. Two men down. Can't say who the gunman was."

"It was Ghost." Ellie told Joel, as she met her gaze. "Definitely."

"Ellie says it was Ghost."

_"Copy."_ She heard Adam reply across the frequency. _"We've known it was Sal down here for a while. Fucker keeps screaming about how he's gonna flay us all."_

She saw that Joel didn't know how to reply to that, and remained silent.

_"Casualties?" _She heard Rat's voice say from the radio.

_"Two with us."_

"Two here as well." Joel spoke into the radio.

_"All right."_ She heard Rat reply. _"Stick close and fight smart. We don't know where Dove is in there, and we can't... oh, fuck."_

The way that Rat swore sent shivers shooting up her spine. She thought she could hear noises from outside...

"What?" She listened to Joel ask, tones of fear rising in his voice. "What is it?"

_"I've got a visual!" _Rat shouted down the radio. _"A shit ton of infected heading your way, they must've heard the noise!"_

_ "Shit, they're down here too! I can hear them through the tunnel!"_

"Get up here, Adam, _now!_" Joel shouted into his lapel.

_"Copy!"_ She could hear assault rifle bursts through the radio when Adam spoke. _"Move! Move! Move!" _

"Rat, are you okay?"

"_Fuck me, I'll be fine! Get Dove and get out of there! I'll pick off as many of them on the outside as I can."_

She stared at Joel, who had relented the grip on his lapel radio. She could feel her heart beating furiously in her chest, and tears welling in her eyes. She pushed them back, along with the irrefutable terror manifesting in her gut.

"The fences will hold them for a little bit." Blufor suggested, making his way through the corridor, gesturing for the others to follow suit.

"We're pressed for time." She heard Olivia say to her right, her tone of voice far too calm for the situation. "I suggest we split. Two teams of three, one of four. We'd cover more ground."

"Ghost is still in here somewhere." She spoke, hoping to save everyone from winding up in front of the barrel of his gun. "I only hit him in the shoulder."

"We don't have another option." She watched Blufor grab the railings of a cast-iron bar separating door leading into a cell block, and covered her ears as Joel shot a round through the lock. She saw Blufor pull, easily yanking the thing open. "We split. Joel?"

"Do it. Ellie, Rider, with me."

"Yeah, of course." She said, taking her place by Joel's side.

"All right. Stay in contact, Olivia."

"Of course."

She watched the bulky woman depart with two of her men and the other woman, striding away from them, southwards, along the south end of the cell block.

"You two." She saw Blufor gesture to the remaining two men. "With me, let's go!" She watched them sprint off down the west end of the cell block, following a sign that read 'Station Entry/Exit.'

She pointed out a flight of stairs to Joel, who nodded, and took point ascending up them. Rider followed, and she was last, her legs quickly making the climb, even under the weight of her gear. She could faintly hear the screams of the infected at the perimeter through the doorway... getting back to their vehicles would be an interesting and practically impossible thing to do.

They reached the top of the stairway and filed into a corridor, with Joel shutting the door carefully behind them. The sounds of the infected were cut off, and they were left with an eerie and haunting silence. She looked down the corridor, which stretched for a hundred meters of darkness. She got a better view of the space when Joel illuminated it with his flashlight - there was door after door after door, for the entire length of the space – some had signs dictating routes to other places, some people's names, and some office numbers.

"Better start opening doors." Joel commented quietly.

She walked in front of them both, looking at the dusty metal panels on the door fronts, trying to find one that led to another cell block. There were a lot of offices, a route to an exercise suite, a cafeteria, and up ahead, interrogation rooms...

"Got something." Joel spoke from behind them. She doubled around, and walked with Rider back up to him. She looked up at the door, which read 'ROUTE TO CELL BLOCK B. NO THOROUGHFARE'.

She looked at Joel, and he glanced down at her. His face was apprehension and fatigue. He placed his hand on the doorknob. She watched him turn it, and yank the door wide open.

There was just enough light from the flashlight to make the skull on the burlap sack visible, mere inches away from them.

_"Fuck!"_ Joel shouted. She heard a horrific rasp from his throat as a fist slammed into his neck, and he fell onto one knee.

She saw Ghost emerge from the door, and those empty brown eyes stare at her. She and Rider were frozen in place out of fear. She saw him start moving towards them.

Then, she heard him grunt as Joel's fist slammed into the back of his head, knocking him momentarily to the floor. She watched Joel stagger onto his feet and pass the red-ring, panting like an asthmatic.

"Run, fucking run!" She heard him say as he wheezed and spluttered.

Without thinking, she bolted for the door that paved the route to the interrogation rooms, every muscle in her body screaming to get away from her pursuer. She flung the door open carelessly and began hurling herself down the stairwell a flight at a time. She hardly noticed the pain in her feet and ankles; she was driven by hormones, and all they told her to do was run. Rider kept pace right behind her, and Joel just behind that. Further up, she could hear another set of feet...

She piled through a push-bar door at the bottom of the stairwell with Rider, tangled among the other girl and her fear. Joel came through, and pulled the door shut with a loud clang. The sprinted down a pitch-black corridor... she could only see where she was going every second or so when Joel brought his flash-light up as he ran.

She stepped, and suddenly the floor vanished from beneath her feet, and she fell. The drop was a good three meters, and she landed on her front on a plastic table, crushing it under the force of the drop. Pain ripped through the front of her body, and she heard a loud thud as Rider fell through the same hole, but landed on the concrete floor.

She could hear scuffling from above, and the occasional grunt. It grew gradually closer, until she heard Joel yell out, and crash down next to her a moment later.

She noticed lights flickering in through a reinforced glass window. One of them fell on a nameplate on a door to her right, in the opposite wall to the strengthened pane. She thought it read 'Station Questioning Suite'... but she couldn't tell. She felt an intense throbbing in her head and torso, and black spots surrounded the edges of her vision. She could sense Joel trying to raise himself up next to her. She hadn't heard anything from Rider, further to her side. There was a quiet rush of air, and then the sound of boots landing softly on the concrete.

She moved her legs around, and found Joel's assault rifle. She tried to toss it around in her feet as he raised himself and moved across the room, away from Ghost. She got it stuck up against a broken table leg, yanked it upwards, and flicked the flashlight on, illuminating the room in a bright-white, LED light. She tried to fire the gun at Ghost, but realised a magazine had never been loaded since they entered the prison, and the useless weapon clicked a dozen times before she dropped it to her side.

She watched Ghost approach Joel. She saw her protector double around and swing at him, and Ghost dodge, jabbing his fingers into Joel's solar plexus. He fell to the floor, wheezing, and prone crawled away from the red-ring. She tried to get up and help, but her body wouldn't obey her.

She saw Ghost make the ground up on Joel, and push him to the floor with one foot. When she thought it was all over, Joel twisted his arm back and yanked Ghost's leg out from under him, sending him onto the floor. She watched her protector smack him once, twice, and three times in the back of the head, before he took Ghost's elbow to his face and stumbled backwards.

Ghost crashed into Joel's abdomen, forcing him back against the wall. She watched the red-ring hit him once, hard. She yelped, and Joel retaliated by head butting the bandit, then hitting him with a brutally hard uppercut that tore the burlap sack clean from his head and sent it flying across the room. The red-ring reared backwards, but then she saw Joel fall as Ghost swept his legs from underneath him. Instead of finishing him there, the red-ring backed off, walking back across the room, composing himself.

She saw his face. It was gaunt, and pale, but she noticed the strong definition in his cheekbones and jaw. He was younger than Joel, but youthful, and his eyes were dark blue behind an unkempt black fringe... his expression didn't burn with madness like the other red-rings she'd encountered. Ghost wore a look that resembled begrudging duty more than anything overly sinister.

She saw Ghost pick up the broken plastic table-top, and swat Joel with it as her protector charged in. Joel stayed on course, however, and she winced as he kneed the red-ring viciously in the groin, a loud grunt escaping his bloody lip, which had been torn open by Joel's uppercut. She witnessed Ghost strike back at Joel, hitting him hard across the temple with the broken table-top. Her protector fell to the ground, and Ghost kicked him in the side of the head, finally knocking him unconscious.

The red-ring stood there panting, his broken lip spilling blood down his face. He grimly met her gaze. He was about to move towards her when she saw the door that connected the room to a concealed corridor behind open up.

"So, Ghost." She heard someone speak. "What've you brought me today?"

She almost felt sick at the sound of the voice. It was soft, upbeat... and absolutely horrifying.

"No answer?" She heard Happy Sal say, striding into the room as if he were at a family reunion, about to dance with old friends. "That's a shame." She heard him tut. "You don't get out much, do you?"

She looked at Ghost for a reaction, but he simply stood there, brooding and staring at the floor.

She watched as Happy Sal looked Rider and Joel over, who had both been knocked out by their injures.

"He sure is an efficient one, isn't he?" Sal said, approaching her. She gulped as he knelt down in front of her.

She thought he had the most unassuming face for a brutal bandit. She thought he looked like someone you'd see on the street; a baker in a shop, or an accountant on his way to the bank. To her he looked exceedingly average... except for his eyes, with burned with a contorted and malicious madness.

"Here's the thing, sweetie." He said. She could smell a hint of mint on his breath. "You hurt our little Ghost, didn't you?"

She looked past Sal and saw Ghost clutching his shoulder. He moved it too far, and winced, it still weeping blood from the bullet she'd placed there.

"That," He said, pulling a knife, "is a big no-no, my darling."

She quivered and whimpered as Sal placed the sharp edge of the knife under her jawline, pressing the edge in slightly, and grinning straight at her. She thought she heard Ghost move forward slightly, behind Sal.

"Actually, no." Sal decided, drawing the knife back. "I won't kill you."

She watched him stand, stare at her, and cackle loudly. Behind him, she saw Ghost wince again, although this time, she didn't think it was from pain.

"I'm going to _flay_ you!" He spat out the sentence like a fairground clown. She whimpered more, unable to control herself, her bottom lip quivering and tears running down her face.

"Oh, and _look!" _Sal continued. "Some of your friends are here to enjoy the show!"

She noticed the flashlights outside the window had stopped flickering, and were now focussed, refracting through the glass.

"Why don't you come up and say 'hello', my dear?" She heard him asked her, grinning. When she didn't move, his face contorted horrifically.

"Get up, _now!"_ He screamed at her.

She raised herself, and felt something shift under the skin in her chest. She winced and yelped, but raised herself anyway. She couldn't fight back when Sal wrapped and arm around her throat and pressed the knife to her neck again, taunting the men on the other side of the glass.

She saw Ryker, hammering on the pane with the butt of his rifle, and Adam, who stared in at her for a moment, then raised himself into a shooting stance, and loosed his assault rifle into the glass. She heard the bullets thud against the window, but the glass didn't so much as chip.

"They want to get in!" Sal said happily. "But they _can't._" Sal said menacingly.

She wept as he constrained her. There was nothing she could do.

She felt the blade of the knife dig in just along her jawline.

"Let's start with the face, and then we'll stick it to the glass after we-"

She heard a horrific gurgling explode from Sal's throat, and the pane of glass was covered in thick, warm blood. It splattered over her face, and she saw it run down the window and drop quietly onto the floor below. His grip on her loosened, and she heard Ghost slide the knife out the back of his commander's throat.

She stayed standing. Through the blood and glass she saw Adam and Ryker, who both stood there, their mouths agape. She could see through the window, now, that they had fallen through to the transit questioning suite in the train station. She saw five other men join her friends on the other side of the glass.

She heard a new voice sound from above her; she couldn't tell where from. It was loud, and authoritative.

"Get on your goddamn knees!" She heard the voice say. The command wasn't directed at her, she knew, but she did so anyway. She heard four pairs of boots drop down onto the floor behind her.

"Ellie." She heard Blufor's voice before she saw him. He came into her vision from the front, and cupped her head in his hands. Her face was covered in Sal's blood, and she smiled at him when he wiped some of it off for her.

"It's okay, you're alright." She was reassured simply by hearing a friendly voice.

But... only two men had gone with Blufor, she thought.

The voice she didn't recognise sounded again, from the back of the room.

"Bring them out here, guys."

She heard the two other men grunt lifting Joel and Rider. She heard one of them swear as Joel woke up in his arms, making him jump out of his skin, but she knew Rider was still out cold. She thought it had been a miracle she hadn't been knocked out by the fall.

"What's the girl's name?" She heard the new voice ask Blufor. It was a female's.

"Ellie." Blufor replied, as she watched him look up. "Her name's Ellie."

"Ellie." She heard the new voice speak again. She thought it sounded odd saying her name. "Come with me, sweetheart. You're in safe hands now."

She did as she was told, quickly brushing past Ghost without raising her eyes from the floor, and past the woman, out into the corridor Sal had come from.

"Get him sorted out." She heard the woman say again.

"Hands behind your back." Blufor spoke, the safety on his 9mm clicking off and raising, transferring his meaning well to Ghost.

She saw Joel had stood up, and was limping over to her, standing in the exit to the room.

"You okay, kiddo?" She heard him ask her the moment he realised it was her he was looking at.

"Yeah, I'm..." She stopped trying to lie. "No, I'm not."

She hugged him, and started sobbing, the memory of the knife bursting out of Sal's mouth in her peripheral still all too vivid in her mind's eye.

She could feel him swaying, his head obviously injured from the fight with Ghost.

"I just... I just gotta sit down, then we can talk, okay? I got you, baby girl."

They walked arm in arm together, behind the two men, one of whom was carrying Rider. She had started to feel awful about them needing to find a way around to the station, until she heard a click, and a door slide open behind her.

The concealed corridor opened up into the station through a set of cabinets, in the wall, she now saw. Ghost was standing by the orifice which he had just opened, staring at her wistfully, until she saw one of Adam's huge hands clamp down on the back of his neck and pull him through, with Blufor in tow, his pistol raised. She watched the two men carry Rider out next, and then she and Joel followed.

"Thank god you're all all right." She heard Adam say, relieved tones in his voice, while she watched Blufor and Ryker reprimand Ghost. "Time's running out. We managed to use our heavy unit's RPG to collapse the tunnel a way back, so no infected will get in down here. I don't know about up top, though. We should meet up with the others, now, and get the fuck out of here."

"Hang on." She heard Blufor say to the Watcher. "We picked up one extra."

She turned to see the new woman walk out the concealed door, and slide the face of the cabinet shut. She watched her turn, and grin at them all, bleached-blonde hair falling in a short and messy bob around her head. She saw she wore camo cargos, and dogtags around her neck.

She heard Ryker take a step forward and speak behind her.

"Dove."

She looked up at Adam, who was beaming from ear to ear.

"No." The Watcher spoke. "Amber."


	20. Chapter 20 - The Eagle's Nest - IIX

She watched the two old friends grip in a tight embrace.

"I had heard the Watcher was around." She heard Amber speak to Adam over his shoulder as they hugged. "Did you get my letter?"

"In the cabin?" She listened to Adam reply. "Yeah. I came as soon as I could."

She watched Amber loosen from the huge man's hug and take a step backwards, to stand next to Blufor, who still had his pistol raised at Ghost's head.

"Goddamn red-rings." She heard the woman comment, and watched her spit on the concrete floor of the station, her face illuminated by the light of the under-barrel torches. "They just waltzed in and took the place from right under my nose. Didn't even notice anything was happening until the commander bust down my door with a bunch of his lackeys and told me they were taking me away."

"The commander." She heard Blufor pipe up from behind Amber. "Big guy, bald, total idiot?"

"Yeah." Amber admitted. "They came just after you left my place, coincidentally."

"I know." Blufor replied, the pistol trained on Ghost's forehead. "Threw me in the cells straight after that. I was in there for a week or so, not sure really, and then those two were thrown in after me."

She saw him gesture his head towards her and Joel, who was standing at her shoulder. She could feel herself still shuddering from her encounter with Happy Sal, and at how Ghost's knife had burst through his open mouth, blood spraying everywhere. She looked at the brooding red-ring, his dark blue eyes shining menacingly. She locked her gaze with him, but immediately glanced away, a shiver shooting up her spine.

"Then," She heard Blufor continue, "Adam turned up, disguised as a guy called 'Twigs', or some shit like that."

"Sticks." She heard Adam correct pridefully.

"That's the one. Anyway, Simon – the commander, that is – fell for it, the idiot, and we escaped that day. I though I'd heard Sticks say his name was really Adam Cassel, but I didn't buy it until I saw his face a few hours later. But it was really him."

She heard Amber chuckle.

"Larger than life as usual, eh, Mr. Watcher?"

She glanced at the Watcher to see him shrug the question off. It had been a while since anyone had noted his alias, she realised; he wasn't too widely known this far west. She shuddered as a muffled screech from behind was followed by a chorus of others, as a din of throaty clicks and scrabbling emanated up the tunnel towards them.

"What the fuck?" She heard Amber curse in reaction to the noise. Adam immediately raised his voice and justified the disturbance.

"We're in a tight spot, here, I'm not going to lie. Last we heard from Rat, he told us there was a large amount of infected baring down on our position. They were coming up through the tunnel from the east. We used the RPG from our other heavy unit to collapse it, but it won't stay that way if a Titan decides to show up."

"Rat's here?" She noticed Amber asking with a level of relief in her voice. "That'll make our life better. Damn good leader, that one."

"I know. He's done an excellent job, he-"

"Hey!"

She turned around at the interruption, and saw that Ghost had stepped forward. Had he been the one who had spoken? She admitted, she hadn't recognised the voice. It was deep, and authoritative, but... much colder than the others. She noticed Blufor had moved up with the red-ring, keeping his pistol trained on the man's head.

She heard Adam react angrily from beside her.

"I thought you were mute, you red-ring fuck."

"Mind your tone, Watcher." She heard Ghost reply, not angrily like Adam, but almost trying to convince him he wasn't as evil as he was perceived to be. "I'm only trying to help you."

"_Help _us?" This time, it was Joel who raised his voice to the bandit. "After you beat the living shit outta me, and chased the girls down, probably to do the same?"

"No," She heard Ghost respond, trying to rescue the argument. "You have to understand, I was following orders, I-"

She heard heavy and fast footfalls as the Watcher surged forward in anger.

"Orders, you reckon?" She almost felt Ghost wheeze as one of Adam's gigantic fists crashed into his gut. "Orders that made you kill innocent people without a second thought?"

She heard the red-ring wheeze again, cough, and spit on the floor, then clear his throat and rebut.

"That's exactly it..." She heard him say between gasps. "I _had _second thoughts. I'd been having them for a while." She saw his black-hair-matted head dart up, and his deep blue eyes stare straight at her. "I was ordered to kill you back in the subway, you know that, right?"

"But you didn't." She managed, her voice sounding meager as it left her lips.

"No, that's right, I didn't." She heard him splutter, and spit on the floor again. "I had a loss, okay? I had a loss, and things got dark. I found myself with Pyotr's group, doing sick shit before I even really knew it. I bought into it, never questioning it, but seeing you changed me."

She held eye contact with Ghost.

"Ellie, is it?" She heard him ask, and then splutter a third time, still recovering from Adam's vicious strike.

"Yeah." She spoke.

"Don't you _dare_ think you can say her name!"

She moved forward sharply, and placed both of her hands on Adam's raised fist. She looked up at the Scotsman and met his gaze.

"He saved me from Sal. He killed him."

She saw the Scotsman huff, nod, and lower his fist. She moved in closer, and knelt down to Ghost, who was still wheezing on all fours.

"Why did you do it?" She asked him, intrigued. "Why would you save me?"

The red-ring met her gaze, and she looked into his eyes.

"I did some sick things, horrible things, with Sal and the others. Did them without really thinking. Shit... sometimes, I even enjoyed them. But... then I saw you, in the subway, scurrying to save your friend. And... you reminded me of her."

"Her?"

"Her."

"Who was 'her'?"

Ghost didn't answer her question, only staring at the floor, his black mop hanging down toward the cement of the platform. She decided to save that question for later, as she noticed him change the subject when he started talking again.

"All I know," the red-ring began, "is that you won't get into the Nest without me."

She felt Adam's presence beside her as she stared at the red-ring, her curiosity getting the better of her. She saw him crouch next to her in her peripheral vision.

"What're you talking about?" She heard him ask fervently, his voice quiet and courteous, but tense.

"They don't just have guards on the walls, you know." She could feel the tension coming from Blufor and the others in the air as the sounds of rocks being stripped away accompanied shrieks on the other side of the cave-in. "They've got recon groups stationed in the surrounding forest as well."

"Shit." She heard Adam curse.

"Simon is a stupid brute, but being paranoid is one of his better qualities. He does leave places unmanned, though. One I know of is-"

"The pumping station?" She heard Adam ask, as she remembered the terrible night they'd spent there after their escape. She also remembered the third man who had been with them, who they had left to die at the main gate as red-rings swarmed from every direction. Carlos.

"Yeah." She heard Ghost reply. "How did you...?"

"Escape route."

"Thought so. You're smarter than you look."

"And you a better man than you look, I presume."

She saw Ghost nod, and then hoist himself up, having finally gathered his breath after Adam had winded him.

"Yes. I hope I get to prove that to you." She saw the assassin raise his arm for a handshake. "Fuck Pyotr and the others to hell, I'm through with them. Are we good?"

She watched Adam reluctantly place his hand intro the red-ring's, and shake it firmly.

"Yeah, we're good."

"Right." Ghost spoke, gesturing towards a stairwell on the far side of the room. "How's about we get the fuck out of here?"

"Sounds good to me." She heard Ryker comment from behind her, all too eager to leave the death-trap of the prison. She saw him begin to move towards the exit as the others followed, and she tagged along in the rear, a spring in her step given by the adrenaline that was still running through her system.

She noticed Ghost walking swiftly next to her as they moved towards the exit.

"Ellie?" He spoke, the light black stubble around his thin jaw now visible to her. "Sorry for almost head-shotting you. You're a damn good shot with that rifle."

She saw him gesture to the M40A5 she still somehow held over her shoulder.

"First time in a long time I've taken a hit." He commented.

"You okay?" She asked, wary that she may have mortally wounded the red-ring.

"Yeah." He replied, but then inhaled sharply as he moved his wound the wrong way. "Hurts a bit, but I'll live."

She saw Blufor had already reached the blue, metal door that marked the entry to the stairwell. She hovered by him as he flung it open, and stood with him as he did a check-off. The three men she didn't know who'd survived their ordeal went into the stairwell first, and she vocalised the names of those she did know as they passed.

"Three guys first." She commented to Blufor. "Ryker carrying Rider, followed by Amber. Joel, Adam, Ghost."

"Blufor." Blufor said as he walked through the door, and she followed him in.

"Ellie." She said last, as she walked in fully and shut the door behind her. "Gang's all here."

"Not quite yet." She heard Adam speak through the darkness of the stairwell.

"Shit! Guys, where's Olivia?" She heard Ryker ask, his voice laden with desperation.

"Relax, Ryker." Adam rebutted, as she watched him attend to his lapel radio. "Team Two number Two, come in, over."

They all stood there in silence, and she shivered when she heard nothing apart from the dull static that came out of the device.

"Oh, shit." She listened to Ryker swear loudly, his voice echoing up the stairs and rebounding off of the concrete walls for five floors going straight up.

"Relax!" Adam said again, much more forcibly this time. She could feel the tension seething from Ryker's body, even as he held the unconscious Rider. From what she had seen, the young man and the bulky woman shared a genuine love that was almost extinct in the world they begrudgingly called home.

"Team Two number Two, this is Team One leader. Olivia, this is Adam. Olivia?"

_"__Adam!"_ The voice came shouting back through the radio. She could hear the tones of fear, even through the poor quality of the radio's speakers. _"__Shit, the other guys are dead, I'm surrounded!"_

"Oh fuck, Olivia!" She heard Ryker almost shout, moving towards Adam swiftly.

"Ryker, calm yourself!" Adam shouted in return, commanding him. His tone made her want to submit to his will; she didn't know why. It was the tone of a natural, born leader. "Olivia, where are you? Are you hurt?"

_"__No, I'm not hurt."_ She heard the reply, followed by a deep exhalation of relief from Ryker. _"__I'm inside, but so are the infected. I'm up in Cell Block A, I managed to lock myself inside a cell. The other three guys weren't so lucky. Holy shit! There must be hundreds of them up here."_

She could hear the screams and clicks of the infected as background noise whenever Olivia checked in.

"Fuck, we're running out of men for the Nest." She heard Blufor comment fervently from behind her.

"Who cares?" Ryker shouted. "We _have _to save Olivia!"

She saw Blufor turn on the Watcher.

"Adam." She heard him begin. "One life isn't worth eleven others. We should go."

She heard Blufor stumble as Ryker almost bowled him over, and winced as she realised he was still holding Rider in his arms when he did it.

"Hey, fuck you, man!" She heard the young man vocalise.

"Fuck _me?_ For choosing to save everyone else?" She heard Blufor bellow as he raised himself back up, and raise his fist, moving towards Ryker. "You damn hot-shot, I'll teach you how to-"

"Shut it, _both of you_!" Adam shouted, much louder than either of them had, his voice huge, and filling the stairwell easily. She noticed everyone fall back into silence, stunned by the force of his voice. She stood there brooding in the moment of silence that followed.

"We're not leaving anyone else behind." Adam said, and she audibly heard Blufor sigh. "We go to Cell Block A before we leave."

She watched Adam motion for the stairs, and immediately made to follow him, with Joel on her left and Rider on her right. Blufor had peeled over to stand on the other side of Rider, she noticed, and left Ryker walking beside Amber and the other three men as they made their way up the first flight of stairs.

"If we're going up there," She heard Ghost speak, "give me a gun."

"Fuck no." Came his reply, from Joel. She admitted, she was with her protector on that front.

"Please." Ghost asked, as she noticed him completely ignore Joel's reply and direct the request towards Adam.

She heard a dull, metallic click as the body of Adam's assault rifle was pushed up against the red-ring's tac-vest.

"Here." She heard Adam speak idly, beginning on the second flight of stairs, the sounds of their boots echoing loudly around the stairwell in both directions.

"You're seriously gonna allow that?" She heard Joel ask, breathing heavily.

"Yeah." She listened to Adam reply, the same idle tone in his voice. "If he hurts anyone, I kill him myself." She saw the Watcher's head turn to Ghost, who was clutching the assault rifle and scaling the steps next to him. "Clear?"

"Crystal." She heard the sound of the bolt being pulled back, and the safety clicking off.

"Joel, up here." She heard another command follow, as they reached the door they were going to exit from. If she wasn't mistaken, this one led back out into the corridor where she, Joel and Rider had first encountered Ghost. She shuddered at the memory and the fear it held, keeping her suspicions of the man high as they filed onto the landing before exiting the stairwell.

"What is it?" She heard her protector ask as he reached the Watcher's side.

"Heavy unit time." He simply replied, and she watched him draw the improvised flamethrower from his back, and watched Adam do the same, replacing the assault rifle he'd gifted to Ghost. She heard a small, metallic click as Joel turned the safety off, and the small blowtorch at the end of the weapon ignited.

She saw Adam turn to address the group.

"Here's the plan." He projected, quitely, but clearly. He wasn't loud, but she could hear every word her spoke. "We stick in a tight rank. Ryker carrying Rider in the middle. You guard your side, and Joel and I cut a path for us. Everyone keep your cool and pick your targets well. Clear?"

"Clear." She heard Blufor respond. "What're we waiting for?"

She didn't hear a reply from Adam, only wincing as he loudly kicked the door down, breaking its hinges, and causing it to crash to the floor. She heard the immediate reply from a dozen infected in the corridor, screeching and hollering, and she drew the .44 from her holster and tore the hammer backwards, priming the gun. She moved up with the rest of them, and they formed a tightly-knit rank around Ryker, and shimmied out into the hallway.

She saw the silhouettes of the infected sprinting down the corridor towards them, reminding her of one of her nightmares. She was about to yell at Adam and Joel to fire, until she was silenced by a plume of red-orange flame that burst out from the end of Joel's flamethrower with a loud hiss, the smell of crisping flesh pounding into her. She gagged, and winced, the smell and the heat of the raw flame and its subsequent affects almost unbearable. Still, she held position on the left of Ryker, with two of the men she didn't know guarding that side with her. She could only assume that Adam was with Blufor and the third man on the other side.

She saw the blackened corpses fall to the floor, the walls of the corridor starting to catch fire, and heard Adam's bellowing command.

"_Move! Move! Move!"_

She noticed Adam moved to the front, and the two men break into a sprint, slowed somewhat by their gear and weapons. The rest of them followed suit, as did she, hindered slightly by a fear-induced stitch that sent pain shooting through her chest. She wasn't sure if it were that, or a broken rib; either way, she didn't have the luxury of paying it any heed at the moment. Adrenaline dulled the pain, but only to a degree.

They reached the end of the corridor, and she noticed Adam continue his tradition of forcibly kicking doors down. This time, she heard it break from its hinges and fall down the steps she, Joel and Rider had ascended earlier, sweeping half a dozen infected down to the bottom of the atrium as it fell.

She exited the door, and looked in horror at what was before her.

There were nearly one hundred infected in the cell block, she guessed at a glance, and more were pouring in through the open double-doors at the end of the reception block with each passing second. Her heart sank fathoms and she could feel immense fear rising in her gut, much more intensely than usual. Their simple presence there had alerted some of the infected, without them even making an overly large amount of noise. She saw one turn, then another, until they were bowling each other over as they sprinted and climbed over to where she and the others stood.

_"__Fire!"_ The order came from Adam. Somehow, in the midst of the chaos, she found that irony amusing.

She felt the intense heat course over her face again, as she saw Joel and Adam both let loose with their flamethrowers, dousing anything that came within twenty feet of them with thick, red-orange flames. She practically vomited as the smell of burning hair and flesh assaulted her nostrils, and watched in disbelief as the metal guardrail on the side of the stairs melted completely and collapsed downwards, crushing infected a few meters below in a deluge of molten metal.

She noticed they'd begun to clear a swathe in the infected assault, and heard the sounds of firing assault rifles accompany the flamethrowers' screech. She brought the Magnum up high to contribute, and fired once, twice, three times, four. Four shots, four kills. Not bad, she thought to herself, as she saw the fourth infected collapse onto the floor, soon to be trampled over by countless comrades.

"Move!" She heard Joel shout to her right as she watched him jump off the side of the staircase, a moist crunch under his feet as he landed on the still-warm corpses below. She followed suit, and gagged as she felt a bone crumble underneath her feet. Slowly, she watched the rest do the same; Blufor landed hard, Ghost softly and deftly, and Ryker almost fell on his ass. She swiveled to her right, seeing more infected cramming through the door allowing entrance into the prison, screeching and spluttering as they surged forward. Beyond, she saw that the chain-link fencing had been torn down... by something much larger than any Clicker.

"Olivia?" She heard Adam shout around the Cell Block, as Joel continued barbecuing infected. "Olivia?"

"Adam!" Came the reply, she heard, from the corridor that headed west. She saw another two-dozen infected reaching in through the bars of a cell.

She flicked the chamber of the Magnum out, emptied the spent shells carelessly onto the floor, grabbed a spiral with 6 new shells from her pocket and rammed it into the pistol, slamming the chamber shut as she ran over towards where Olivia was trapped. She felt Adam following closely behind her, his massive feet crunching over the burnt corpses. Joel, she heard, was efficiently culling the infected coming in behind her and Adam, still spraying them with deadly flame.

She raised the Magnum, pulled the hammer back, and fired with one hand, the adrenaline that ran through her allowing her to be able to deal with the immense kick of the gun. She downed three of them, and then two with one bullet, until she saw Adam rip his survival knife from his belt and lunge full-force into the group that remained clawing through the bars of the cell, sending them spiraling away and granting him time to efficiently execute as many of the as he could.

She assisted him, spending her fifth and sixth bullets on another two infected who tried to get the drop on the Watcher. She saw him stand, his strange armour doused in infected blood and glistening in the light of the flame, and move to scoop his flamethrower back off of the floor where he'd dropped it. She had different priorities, and went straight for Olivia's cell.

"Ellie?" She heard the woman say, seeing her sitting in the back-right corner of the cell, weaponless.

"Are you hurt?" Was the first thing she thought to ask.

"No, I'm fine." She heard the bulky woman reply, seeing a look of pure terror plastered across her face. "I'm the only one that made it, though. The others were killed, though, by a-"

"_Titan!"_ She heard a shout emanate from where the rest of the group were standing. She felt her fear grow exponentially. Surely enough, moments later, a tell-tale roar came echoing out from the courtyard, drawing closer towards the entrance. When the beast ran, its footfalls practically shook the building.

"Oh fuck!" She heard Olivia stammer, seeing her head shoot towards the horrific noise.

"Step back, _both of you!"_ She heard Adam bellow from her left. She did what she was told, jumping back almost ten feet, and shielded her face from the heat as he torched the rusted iron bars with the flamethrower. After the plume, she saw them stretch, glowing white and orange, and collapse to the floor inside the cell. She saw Olivia stand, run forward and sharply jump out of the cell, over the molten metal, crashing down into Adam's arms. The big Scotsman responded well, slipping slightly but staying standing, and helping her back onto her feet.

"Was that sound what I think it was?" She listened to him ask.

Behind them, she heard the Titan burst through the low wall separating the reception and Cell Block A, sending fragments of masonry and rotting plasterboard showering across the atrium. She turned, guessing that Adam had the answer he was looking for. She saw Blufor, Ryker and Amber dive to the left to avoid a sweep from the beast's massive arms, while Joel and Ghost leaped up onto the stairway, just escaping its reach. The three men who were with them weren't so lucky, however; she saw two of them get swatted by the massive arm and flung across the room, leaving blood-splats where they crashed into the walls, while the third fired his rifle from underneath the behemoth and was promptly crushed.

"Oh." She heard Adam reply. "It was."

Without another word, she watched the Scotsman dart back down the corridor, over the corpse-ashes, while she and Olivia followed suit. The flecks of burning skin and ash in the air made breathing horrendously hard, especially when running; at least the fire would have killed any risk of the uninfected among them catching Cordyceps. The thick air was hot and heavy in her lungs, and she struggled to keep pace with the fitter, older people as they ran towards the massive beast. She wished she'd had a gas mask.

She came to a halt behind Adam barely a second after he stopped. She saw the beast rearing at the pain the peppering assault rifles were causing him, but continue to limp forward, towards her friends.

"Adam, we have to do something!" She shouted desperately at the Scotsman as she watched Blufor combat-roll sideways, barely escaping a hair's-breadth away from the Titan's swipe.

She watched as Adam moved forward, priming the flamethrower in his arms.

"Joel!" She heard him holler.

_"__What?"_ Came the response.

"Let's make it hot!"

Apparently Joel understood Adam's meaning. As she watched the Scotsman surge forward, she saw Joel leap down from the stairway, and land directly in front of the beast.

She almost melted at the sheer heat of the two infernos blazing at once, as both flamethrowers fired, and caked the beast in flames. She imagined Joel and Adam would be relatively well-insulated from the heat in their thick armour, but she could feel every degree of it, even from this far away.

She heard a small click, and saw Adam's flamethrower burst, the metal tubing giving way and sending small rivulets of flame spiralling over the Watcher's body. She thought it was a miracle it didn't backfire completely, and that Adam managed to avoid the tank actually exploding. She saw him drop to the ground and rushed to help him as he padded his jacket furiously with his hands, dousing the flames. She and Olivia lifted the Watcher onto his feet with a grunt as he hollered to the others.

"Dammit, I'm out!"

That didn't phase Joel, she saw. She watched as he moved forward slowly, holding the trigger of the improvised weapon, driving the beast back down to the floor whenever it tried to stand back up. She saw it had caught fire in many places, and a decent amount of its mutated flesh was melting, dripping onto the floor in wet, hot clumps. She could just make out the red-ring of Martydom through the flames, carved into the beast's back.

She heard it screech and shriek, and watched Joel move forward further, scowling, until he was mere meters away from the beast.

Eventually, it gave up its fight against the flames, and collapsed lifelessly to the floor as a big hunk of charcoal. She saw Joel rip the emptied gas canister out of the bottom of the flamethrower, and throw it down a corridor behind him.

"I'm out, too." She heard him speak, and watched him kick the mammoth infected's corpse.

"We're not out of the drink yet!" She listened to Blufor shout, grappling with her rifle as she wound it around from her back, training it on the stream of infected now piling in through the door. She fired, and allowed herself a little self-satisfaction as she downed three with one bullet which easily ripped through their weakened flesh.

"Push, out into the courtyard!" She heard Adam bellow.

"You heard the man!" Blufor responded. "Go go go!"

She moved up behind Adam and Olivia as they ranked up with the others, who were staggering their fire to drop as many infected as possible. What ones made it through were immediately downed by Ghost and his combat knife, and she saw Ryker still had hold of Rider in his arms.

She watched Adam claim a fire axe from the wall of the reception, and slice an infected open from shoulder to waist, its body falling to the ground in two, clean chunks. She saw him push towards the exit, the guns thrumming around him, and she followed closely, peeking behind his massive armoured body and picking off what infected she could with her .44. She got a head-shot on an old accountant, and a businessman in a grey suit, and sat an infected red-ring down with three body shots, the bullets tearing massive holes in his rotten tac-vest.

The Scotsman somehow managed to plough his way through the swarm of infected to the door of the prison, which she watched him exit quickly, and followed him straight through, the others in tow behind them. The sunlight stung her eyes, but she adapted quickly, and her vision returned. She saw the courtyard, almost full with infected, barrelling towards their position. For a moment, she questioned if she was going to die here.

In the distance, she saw another huge, hulking figure, trudging slowly towards the chain-link fencing. Just behind its position, she saw the SUV and the flatbed, their tickets to freedom, so far out of reach.

"Keep the rank together and keep your cool!" She heard Adam shout, seeing him claim Blufor's pistol as she watched the squad-mate drop runner after runner with the assault rifle she presumed he'd procured from one of the men she hadn't known. "Stagger the fire, and we'll make it out!"

"Push for the break in the fence!" This time, it was Amber she heard shout to the group. She saw her gesture, extending her arm to point to where the first Titan had bent and crushed the chain link under its hulking form. She glanced at Ghost as she reloaded, to see his face stern and focused, dropping targets easily with Adam's assault rifle. She moved with them, trying to keep herself calm, despite the inexplicable fear churning in her abdomen. She trusted them all, more than anyone else in the world.

She noticed Adam split off from the group, using his axe as a primary again, cleaving easily through the infected as they presented themselves. She watched him gradually move away from them, to where an electric generator stood rusted and abandoned. It wasn't the generator he was after, she saw; she watched him pick up a nearby gasoline tank, shake it, and then sprint back over to them, the large green oblong resting in his arms. She watched him run past her, to Joel, and claim the flamethrower from him. Then, he undid the cap of the can, and she observed him clip the nozzle into the bottom of the gun, screw it into makeshift the metal pipe, and light the small blowtorch at the end.

"That's gonna have a shit ton more punch than propane." She heard him say through the din of the infected as she watched him give the weapon back to Joel. "Be careful, and don't tilt it forward, or we're all gonna go up in flames!"

"Gotcha!"

She watched Joel move forward, towards the incoming sea of infected. She saw the flamethrower fire, and Joel rear backwards so the increased force didn't tear it from his grip. The flame it produced was harder to see, and almost blue, but was far, far hotter than the one she'd been exposed to inside the prison. She watched him drag the almost-transparent plume over the infected, left and right, their bodies immediately igniting and collapsing at his feet.

She saw another section of the chain-link collapse as the second Titan burst through and roared at them as it approached.

"See that?" She heard Adam shout to no-one in particular.

"I'm on it!" Came a reply. She turned to her left to see Ghost trample over and infected and begin barging his way through them, sprinting directly at the Titan.

She looked behind herself to check on Rider. She saw that Ryker wasn't in the spot he'd been in a few minutes ago, and she felt her bowels churn at the premise they had both been left behind. She didn't say or shout anything; she only swallowed hard, and gazed hurriedly around the courtyard, trying to pull the friendlies out of the sea of infected. After a few moments, she saw Ryker, up against the Humvee she'd sheltered behind earlier, wrestling with three clickers.

She saw he was no longer carrying Rider; had he dropped her?

"Adam, _Adam!" _She shouted. She saw the Scotsman's head veer sharply around, a scowl cast over his features. She gestured to Ryker and felt her hand raise to point, watching Adam's eyes follow the tip of her finger.

"Goddammit!" She heard him curse. "Come on!" He said to her.

She ran behind him as quickly as she could, and after bowling a stray Clicker onto the floor, she watched Adam vault over a moss-covered jersey barrier, and she followed in hot pursuit, grunting as she landed on the other side. Within seconds they were at the Humvee, and she got down on all fours as she heard Adam aiding Ryker against the Clickers.

She was massively relieved when she came face-to-face with Rider, who was on the floor, sitting up against the side of the rusted vehicle. She saw the elder girl was starting to stir, and tried her best to wake her up.

"Rider, Rider!" She shook the girl's face with her hands. "Rider, wake up!"

She saw the girl start, but struggle to keep her eyes open.

"Rider, come on! Rider, please! It's Ellie, you have to wake up!"

"Ellie..." She heard the elder girl speak quietly. Suddenly, she saw Rider sputter, and her grey-white eyes shoot open. "Ellie?" She heard her ask.

"Get up!" She replied to the girl.

"What the fuck is going-"

"_Get up!"_ Adam shouted from her right, with Ryker standing beside him, a relieved look washed over his face. The haste in Adam's voice was evident to her. When Rider didn't get up, Adam helped her scoop the elder girl off of the ground and move back towards the rest of the group, with Ryker in tow. Once they'd returned, with Joel still showering nearby infected in super-heated flame, she glanced downrange to see Ghost solo, going up against the Titan.

She saw it thump both of its fists down just to the right of Ghost, creating a massive crater in the pavement as she watched the red-ring duck deftly out of the way. She saw him drag his knife along the beast's exposed forearms, sending infected blood spilling everywhere, seeping into the cracks its wallop had just chiseled in the asphalt. When the beast lifted itself and came around for a second strike, she saw Ghost drop prone to the floor, the massive, bloody fists sailing clean over him.

Was he _bating_ the Titan?

She saw him stand back up nimbly, and tuck around the back of the behemoth, slashing away at the creature's back. The beast doubled around a lot faster than she'd expected, but she saw that Ghost was ready for anything, and saw the red-ring jump backwards, just far enough to avoid the beast's reach. It fell onto its front trying to grab at him, not knowing that it would never succeed.

She saw him sling the assault rifle down from his back, quickly aim at the beast's stationary head, and hold the trigger down for a solid five seconds. It was all over in a burst of crimson, and she saw him dart back to the group, past Joel, during a break in his flame-throwing. She felt slightly more secure as he ducked back between her and Adam.

"Not bad, for a bandit." She heard Adam comment idly.

"Thanks, big guy."

She decided her position between the Watcher and the Assassin was a good one for her own chances of longevity. She still held the semi-conscious Rider over her shoulder, where Adam had let go to do what he was best at; Rider _was_ waking up, albeit slowly.

"There's more!" Joel shouted, forcing them to cast their eyes downrange, to the street, where even more infected were sprinting at them from. She saw no Titans, however.

"Shit, keep pushing!" She heard Amber yell from her right, her assault rifle tat-tatting close to Ellie's ears. She saw the building was receding away from them when she looked backwards; they were making ground, slowly but steadily. Even though the cars still seemed eons away from her, she was just glad they'd left the horrific prison behind.

She looked at her protector, cutting swathes through the infected with hot, white-blue flames. She thought he looked unnaturally majestic; she had no doubt realising that this was what Joel was meant to be used for. She felt a little sad at that thought.

She saw more infected pouring in from the street, and even more from residential back-alleys and driveways in the distance. She knew their gunfight had been loud, but how many infected could there be in this damn city?

"_Adam!"_ She heard Joel shout from the front of the group, his resolve clearly thrown by the sheer mass of infected.

"Oh, shit." She saw Adam turning rapidly, observing the infected charging at them from all directions. "Shit, shit, _shit!"_

_"_What the hell are we gonna do?" Came Joel's ultimate query.

She glanced at the Watcher, and for the first time since she had met him, saw in his face that he was completely out of his depth.

Her heart sank when he didn't reply. She watched him just stand there, stock still, his eyes flicking around in their sockets and his mouth quivering slightly. She averted her gaze to the column of infected that were still unyielding in their assault, despite the fierce resistance and fight the others were giving... she thought that this might be her final resting place. A shitty prison in a shitty city somewhere far from home.

She pulled her head upwards at the sudden sound of a loud, accelerating engine, accompanied by the peppering of a distant automatic gun.

She could hardly believe her eyes when she saw a dozen infected just in front of her mowed down and flattened by an armoured black coupé, with a criss-cross of bullet holes smattering the bonnet and panel-work, pull in to the courtyard through the hole in the fence the Titan had made. She saw someone leaning out of the window with a light machine-gun, riddling any infected that were left standing by them with bullets as fresh reinforcements crashed into the other side of the vehicle.

"Is... is that my car?" She heard Adam mumble in disbelief from behind her.

She watched the coupé draw closer, and swing past them, power-sliding over infected before it came to a screeching halt a few meters away from their position.

"Run for the cars, you idiots!" She heard Rat shout at them from the window, as she watched the coupé accelerate again, swivel around, and flatten another five infected under its bumper-bar before coming to a halt further ahead, waiting for them.

She immediately broke into as fast of a sprint as she could while carrying Rider over her shoulder, but the elder girl soon caught on, and while dazed, she felt the load lighten slightly as she began to run as well. She could hear the loud, crashing footsteps of the group behind her, guessing by the sounds closest to her that Joel and Adam were at her heels. She could see countless moving silhouettes in her peripheral and hear their screeches and clicks; she blocked them out, only focussing on the cars in front of them, and the black coupé. Ellie hadn't seen who the driver was, and when she tried to look, she couldn't identify them, either.

She had reached the coupé again in mere seconds, and was almost caught up to Rat as he provided cover fire from the window, until the car accelerated again, claiming more road-kill, and came to a halt just before the chain-link fence's huge gate.

She ran as hard as she could, her heart thumping wildly inside her chest. She felt as if she was going to vomit, but she made that wait until she wasn't in a life-or-death situation. She wasn't going to die with a mouthful of puke, that was for sure.

She reached the coupé a third time, and to her surprise, saw that Rat still hadn't burned though the box of ammo clipped into the underside of the machine-gun. She saw him glance at her, nod, and then resume firing. The coupé revved, its rear wheels locking, and she saw Rat slip back inside the window, the machine gun disappearing last. She winced at an incredibly loud screech as the tires gave off a massive plume of smoke, and then unlocked, sending the car crashing through the both chain-link gates, the layers layers snapping free of their hinges and crashing down on top of the vehicle. She saw it pull out into the street and stop again, having cleared them a much easier path to the vehicles than having to try their luck with the two Titan-made holes.

She let go of Rider, who was now capable enough to run herself, and raised her Magnum again, picking off three infected with her last few bullets. She passed by the two dilapidated guard towers on either side of the gate, and burst out into the street, rapidly making up the ground between her and the coupé. She presumed the others were still following; she didn't have time to look back.

To her relief, the mystery coupé had cleared them a perfect path; she made the last ten meters to the flat-bed on her own, jumped into the back, and immediately manned the 50cal machine turret that sat on a stand, welded to the bed. She aimed at more infected piling up the street towards them from Smith & Western, and pulled the hand-triggers back. The jolt of the weapon shocked her, and initially its recoil massively overpowered her, until she managed to control it and bring the barrel back down. She didn't have the strength to fire the turret full-auto like the men did, but she noted her effectiveness with it when she fired in short bursts, and how easily the huge-calibre rounds tore through infected's torsos.

She noticed Rider hop into the bed next, then Ghost, then Olivia, and Ryker last. She saw Blufor run to the cabin, fling open the driver's door, and start the ignition. She heard the engine splutter into life, felt the flat-bed veer backwards and turn sharply, and saw a Clicker get ploughed underneath the tailgate right by her feet.

As they pulled off of the driveway, she saw Adam shut the driver's door of the SUV, with Joel and Amber hurriedly slamming the rear-doors shut as more infected threw themselves up against the side of the vehicle. She watched Blufor wait for the coupé and its tinted windows as it pulled off in front of them, and then felt him guide the truck out behind it, hearing the low and well-maintained thrum of Rat's SUV rolling behind them. They picked up speed quickly, and she dropped down from the turret, onto the bed of the truck, sitting against the wall next to Rider. She reveled in the relief of the wind on her face as they pulled away from the prison, and the ravenous infected shrunk into small black dots, before disappearing entirely.

They'd made it out, and she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Fun shit, huh?" She heard Olivia joke, slapping a frightened Ryker on the back.

She looked around at the occupants of the pick-up as they passed the Smith & Western, the low-end residential district surrounding the prison disappearing into nothingness, giving way to high-rises and skyscrapers.

There was Olivia, who while strong, had almost died; she saw she looked oddly excited and invigorated by the event, with a wide smile pressed across her face, the soot and ash from Adam's flamethrower caking her features a shade of grey. There was Rider, which when they made eye contact, simply smiled at her knowingly, her white-grey eyes grateful for Ellie having saved her, again. She looked at Ryker, still shivering and off-put by his brush with death, and then to Ghost, the last one in the back of the pick-up with her. She saw he was brooding, as per usual, his deep-blue eyes boring holes in the floor of the bed. He must've realised she was staring at him, as she saw him look up, and their eyes locked.

"You were brave, back there." She heard him say. "Dependable."

"So were you." She rebutted. "You took one of those fucking things down on your lonesome."

"I've had practice." Ghost replied, and she watched his eyes drift back towards the floor.

She didn't bother replying, aware of the fact he didn't want to continue the conversation, despite her curiosity burning holes in her brain. She held her tongue for a few minutes, maybe ten, or twenty, as the rest of the occupants seemed content with silence and the rushing of the wind. Upon their exit from the unusually uneventful CBD, she struck up conversation with the red-ring again, unsure what she was expecting him to say.

"Why did you kill Sal?" She heard herself ask.

She looked at him, and all she saw was him lift his head and look at her through his jet-black fringe.

"Well...?" She asked, less pointedly than before.

"Didn't you hear me say earlier?"

"Yeah, but-"

"That's it."

"That's it?"

"Yeah." She saw him drop his head again. "Sal, Chriss and Simon are sick, twisted people. As bad as Pyotr, if not worse." She heard him sigh. "It took you almost getting your face sliced off to tell me that. What does that make me?"

"A good man." She replied. She thought the words sounded stupid and fabricated as they exited her lips. "For being able to change."

She heard him chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess."

"What's Rat gonna say about you?" She listened to Ryker say from her right. "Didn't you nearly kill him once?"

"Yeah." Ghost admitted. "But business is business. He's a leader, he should get it."

"Ghost?" She asked, curious about one more thing.

She saw him turn his head back to her, refraining from speaking and letting his eyes inquire.

"Ghost isn't your real name, is it?"

"No." She heard him reply idly. "But the person I was before is long dead, so Ghost fits pretty well."

With that comment, she chose to resign herself to silence for the time being. She watched the mysterious red-ring cast his eyes back down to the floor, not looking up when Olivia questioned the group. She kept her head down at the inquiry, too.

"That black coupé." She listened to the bulky woman say. "I saw Rat hanging out the window, but who the hell was the driver?"

"I don't know." She replied, her eyes fixed on the floor. She had to admit, she thought she'd seen the car somewhere before... she had a hunch at the driver's identity, but wrote it off as just that.

"That's a shame." Olivia replied. "We owe them one. That sure wasn't looking good."

"Never seen that many infected in one place before." She heard Ryker comment, his voice still quivering slightly, even in the aftermath of the attack. "There must've been hundreds. Maybe more."

She glanced upwards to see the sun slowly lowering in the sky. It wasn't quite evening, yet, but she knew they'd spent the entire day in the horrid prison. She was just glad she had another chance to get some sleep. Over the lower buildings, and a bridge carrying a free-way, she could make out the tops of the hospital wards. The sight granted her some degree of comfort.

"How many men did we lose?" She heard Rider ask from opposite her, the elder girl now apparently awake enough to tune in to the conversation. Ellie spotted a large welt raising on her forehead; she must've hit her head on her fall into the prison station's interrogation room.

"Went in with twenty-two, came out with nine." She heard Olivia provide the grim figures. "Picked Amber and Ghost up inside, so minus two. We lost fifteen. There'll barely be anyone left at the hospital now, barring Jack and Martha."

"Shit." She heard herself swear. She knew this was only the beginning; the attack on the Nest was bound to be a move they made soon. How were they supposed to liberate a stronghold with nine people?

"I killed two of them." She heard Ghost say, noticing a pinch of melancholy in his tones. "I'm sorry if they were friends to you."

"They were." Ryker grumbled angrily.

_"__Andy!"_ She heard Olivia forcibly whisper to her partner. "Thanks, Ghost. It means a lot that you thought to apologise."

She noticed the red-ring huff, and then Ryker did the same.

She started to dwell solemnly on the losses as they swiveled around a corner, into the parking lot of the hospital, the familiar landmark of the crashed jet coming into view on her right. She thought she should feel relieved, but all she felt was growing tension at the prospect of the attack on the Nest, which was sure to be inevitable.

She glanced over the cabin of the truck, watching the black coupé trundle slowly towards the middle building, heading straight for Gate one. She remembered the relief she had felt when it had arrived in the courtyard and cleared them a path, saving her life for another day. If she was going to die, she decided that being shot would be preferable to being eaten alive.

The coupé stopped outside the corrugated iron garage door, and she saw Rat hop out of the side of the car. She watched him slide his gloved fingers underneath the bottom of the door, and yank it upwards with the strength of his back, straining as he brought it up just high enough for the coupé to drive through and Blufor to squeeze the flat-bed in afterwards. She roused herself, and clambered out of the back of the vehicle after Rider, with the others in tow, helping Rat raise the door high enough to allow Adam to fit the larger vehicle through. She let go of the door once the SUV had passed, allowing it to fall and clatter to the floor, its heavy structure sealing them off from the outside.

She turned, and walked back to the convoy with Rat, who walked past the other two vehicles, and leaned on the side of the coupé. She noticed everyone had gathered around him, gazing at him expectantly. She was the last to approach, alongside Adam, who moved up next to her.

"So?" She heard the Watcher ask Rat, seeing Blufor and the others all gazing expectantly at the leader.

"So what?" He replied.

"Who's the driver?"

Rat didn't reply; she noticed him tap three times on the passenger-side window, a large grin splayed across his thin face.

She heard the driver's side door click open, and saw a tall, black-haired woman step out, turn, and grin at them. She hadn't seen her for quite a while.

"Hello, boys." Evelynn spoke, her perfect white teeth grinning happily.

She immediately grinned back at the woman, unable to tame the happiness rising inside of her. Evelynn was okay, after all. What Blufor and Adam had seen as they drove towards the city couldn't have been the cabin burning down. She glanced up at Adam, expecting to see him elated. Instead, all she saw on his face was a look of perplexity.

"What?" She heard Evelynn speak to the Watcher, a sly grin on her face. She saw her flick her long, black hair out of her eyes, showing them to be cool, and blue, just as Ellie remembered. "Don't you recognise me, Gunnery Sergeant?" She thought Evelynn looked surprisingly good, given her state when they'd left her behind.

She saw Adam process the information for a moment, still seemingly in disbelief at the figure standing before him. In a split second, she saw him grin wildly, and she moved backwards to avoid him sprinting past, sliding over the bonnet of his coupe, reaching the woman and holding her in a tight embrace. She watched them kiss on the mouth, and felt oddly happy that Adam had something to live for again. She watched them draw slowly back from the kiss, and saw Adam shudder with relief and happiness.

"You wouldn't believe how much I've missed being able to do that." She heard him say warmly to the scientist.

"You flirt." Evelynn replied, playfully pushing the Watcher off of her.

She couldn't help but let out a small giggle, as she noticed everyone else standing around, awkwardly outside the romance.

"You lovebirds finished?" She heard Rat slur dryly. "We've got an attack to plan."

"After we check everyone's okay." She heard Olivia counter. "How're you doing, Rat?"

She watched Rat raise his arms to his sides, sarcastically showing himself off.

"I'm great. Bit tired, though. You get that way when you have four hundred infected chasing you down a street. If Evelynn hadn't come along, I'd be Sunday lunch a dozen times over."

She saw Adam move towards Evelynn, and slide their hands together lovingly.

"How did you know where to find us?" She listened to him ask the woman.

"I didn't." She saw the scientist turn, and grin at her lover. "I found a truck in a garage in some house that was nearby the lodge. I took it apart, and replaced what I needed to in your car. The oil and water tanks, really." She watched the scientist slap the bonnet. "Sorry, though. I couldn't get the bullet-holes out."

"That's fine. Makes it look cooler." Came Adam's reply. "How did you manage all this? Your calf was practically snapped in two. It hasn't even been a fortnight, yet."

She had noticed that when Evelynn had been released from Adam's bear-hug, she winced slightly as the pressure was put back on her wounded leg.

"Trust me, it was definitely in two pieces." The scientist replied. "Complete splitting of the fibia and tibula. I couldn't move it at all."

"How did you recover so quickly?" She heard Joel ask from her left, presumably as intrigued by Evelynn's surprise recovery as she was.

"That's a story for a select few." She heard Evelynn counter. She guessed the scientist was hiding her, Adam and Joel's infection from the rest of the group. "Let's just say that my theory about accelerated healing has proven itself correct. I could put pressure on it viably around four days ago, and worked from there."

"How did you know to come here?"

"I caught a lead on a red-ring patrol outside the Nest." She heard her say, watching her sit her slender body on the edge of the bonnet of the coupé. She saw her turn to Adam. "You left your sniper rifle behind. Turns out all I needed to frighten them was a big damn gun. They said they'd recently dispatched their best squad here, and I arrived this morning on a hunch. Then, once here, it was just a case of listening for the loudest noise. I was in a park just outside of the CBD when I heard gunfire. I came as fast as I could."

"Not a moment to soon." She saw Rat move forward, place his hand on Evelynn's shoulder in thanks, and then move off, towards the metal door leading back to the ward, with Olivia and Ryker in tow. She saw Ghost follow them, walking completely silently, the assault rifle he carried now slung over his shoulder.

She moved up to Evelynn, coming to stand just in front of the woman and the Watcher. She didn't notice Rider had followed her, until Evelynn's gaze fell on the elder girl, and then back to her.

"Hey, tyke." She heard Evelynn speak to her happily. "You do the women proud while I was away?"

"She sure did." Adam replied for her, and she felt one of his big hands ruffle her hair. For the majority of the time, she hated being treated like a kid, but she made allowances for a few individuals in her life.

"And, who's this?" She listened to Evelynn inquire, glancing back up to Rider.

"Name's Rider." The elder girl said, extending her hand out to Evelynn, who took it, smiling warmly.

"Good to meet you." She heard the scientist reply. "I'm Evelynn. You keep her safe, you hear?"

"Yes ma'am."

Then, she heard Blufor pipe up from the rear, Amber standing next to him and beaming through her white-blond bob.

"You'd said you'd scored at last, Gunny, but I never expected her to be _that_ beautiful."

"If I had to guess," She listened to Evelynn start sarcastically, "I'd say the blonde woman is Amber White, but... who is_ he_?" She watched the scientist melodramatically place her finger on her lip, concentrating.

"Oh, come on, you must've heard of me."

"Well," The scientist said. "Adam did mention one overly-modest squad-mate from time to time."

She watched Blufor grin pleasantly.

"And his name was...?" The squad-mate humorously prompted.

"Blufor?"

"Bingo!"

"Adam said you were dead."

"I was. Well, hypothetically. Being dead is actually kinda cool."

She watched Evelynn and Adam move towards Amber and Blufor, chat idly for a few moments, and then saw the scientist embrace them both separately. She admitted to herself that she did think the 'family meet-and-greet' was a little twee given the context of the infected-filled world, but the sight of genuine affection warmed her somewhat.

Moving back to Joel, she watched Blufor and Amber disappear back towards the metal door, while Evelynn and Adam made their way back to Adam's coupé. Once there, she saw Evelynn gesture for them to come around to the trunk. She watched Evelynn open it, and looked gleefully over a pile of their old guns, some spare food wrapped in tin-foil, and a large, brown satchel. She saw the scientist open the satchel and draw out a machine-gun ammo belt that she presumably pinched from Adam's M240B, which was lying without its box just to her left. The scientist unwound the long fabric, revealing syringes sitting where the bullets should be, filled with a light-blue serum. Evelynn's inhibitor.

"You two look like shit." She heard the scientist remark to Adam and Joel. "Luckily, I've got just the thing to fix that." She watched her stow the fabric back into the satchel, and bring it out of the trunk with her.

"So, there are drugs?" She heard Rider ask from behind her, hearing wary tones in the older teen's voice. Ellie had forgotten that she was still there.

"Please, they are a lot more complicated than 'drugs'." Evelynn countered. She saw the scientist turn to Rider, apparently motioning to tell her the truth. "Long story, or short story?" She listened to her ask.

"Short story." She heard Rider reply warily, apparently uncertain of what she was being asked.

"I'm a scientist." She heard Evelynn start. "I played around with trying to find a cure for the infection. The powers that be, it seems, didn't like me, so I got infected during an experiment. I didn't know for a while." She watched Evelynn point at Adam. "Him and I are together. I unknowingly gave it to him. When I found out, I made this." The scientist plucked one of the syringes out into the open and held it up for examination. She watched her move her finger over to rest on Joel. "He got hurt. He and Adam have the same blood type. The transfusion was successful, but he's infected too. Now we dose ourselves up with this daily, and we can delay turning until I find a cure."

"How long for?"

"Oh, about five years. Give or take."

"Give or take?"

"Yeah. Scientific predictions are always iffy." She watched the scientist move forward, and place her hand gently on Rider's shoulder. "Be a good girl and don't let the others know, okay?"

"I, uh... okay." She could see by the look on Rider's face that she was perplexed by the sudden influx of science.

She was just about to make a joke at Rider's expense when she heard Adam's radio burst into life, and Blufor, Amber, Evelynn and Joel took position next to her, Rider and Adam.

_"__You there, lovebird?"_

She heard the Watcher sigh audibly.

"Too loud and too clear, Rat. What is it?"

_"__Smartass. Ops room, stat. Ghost may be a crazy fucker, but he knows how to get into that Nest."_

"Duty calls." She heard Adam reply satirically, and followed him and Evelynn as they made their way to the big, metal doorway. She reached it third, behind the two 'lovebirds' as Rat had immediately taken to dubbing them, and followed them through, feeling Joel's protective presence behind her. She didn't know whether he'd still be disapproving of Evelynn and her practices, but she wasn't overly eager to find out.

They walked swiftly, and barring Evelynn commenting on how lovely she thought the base was, they reached the Ops room and barged through the door in under a minute. She moved to the side, and sat on a chair, with Joel taking up residence in one just next to her. She felt him strain as he sat down... age and heavy armour were a bad combination, it seemed. Still, she could practically feel the natural strength that continued to emanate from him.

She glanced up to the planning table. She saw Ghost leaning over a map of the Nest she presumed he'd had, with Amber and Blufor standing next to him, pointing to various landmarks. She saw Rat to the side, obviously stressed, swirling and occasionally sipping a glass of scotch that was far too big to be healthy.

"Do we _have_ something yet?" She heard him ask impatiently.

"We do," Amber admitted, "but it isn't going to be easy."

"I hate easy." She heard Adam speak, watching him move towards the table. "What've you got?"

"Ghost?" She listened to Amber prompt the assassin.

"The Nest has two main gates, both of which are heavily guarded."

"We found that out the hard way." Joel cynically commented under his breath to her side. She huffed in response to his statement.

"Which means, with ten men, they aren't a viable option for attack."

"What do you suggest?"

"An espionage attempt. Get a squad in, probably as prisoners, and have them rendezvous with the other squad inside. We eliminate the guard from there."

She saw Adam stand, and listened to him pipe up.

"Do you have radio connection with the Nest?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Did you hear about a traitor named 'Sticks' a few days back?"

"Yeah, I did." She saw Ghost take a moment to realise what Adam was alluding to. "That was you?"

"Yeah. Ellie, Joel and Blufor were with me as well. I'm definitely not going to be able to pull Sticks again, and they'll be shot on sight if they're seen."

She watched Ghost lean into the table further, resting his chin on his right arm.

"You won't have to play your ruse again. I can still get in." She saw the assassin grin coolly. She felt slightly unnerved at the unnatural display of emotion. "They still think I'm with them."

"How can we be sure you ain't?" She heard Joel ask from her left. She had to admit, the question was poignant, and topical.

"You just can. I'm never taking orders from them again." She watched his eyes dart up to look at Adam. "I'm one of the Watcher's men, now."

The Watcher nodded, and smiled in acceptance.

"Still don't help us with the nest, though." Joel commented.

"I've got that covered." She heard Ghost continue. "I can lead the ones who aren't famous in through a gate, take them to the prison, dispose of the guards, and let them out again. The rest of you will have to come in the back way."

She shuddered as she realised what 'the back way' was.

"The pump-station?"

"The pump-station. Amber definitely needs to go that way, she's infamous, and a high value target. That leaves Adam, Joel, Blufor and Ellie in the first squad. Take your guns with you. With me will be Rider, Ryker, Olivia and Rat. We'll stop by at the armoury on our way through."

"And then?"

"Stealth is the objective. We start at nightfall. If we can take the guards down silently, and dispose of Simon equally, the operation should be a cinch. If not, Amber and Blufor have a contingency."

She watched Blufor stand from his lean on the table, and listened to him address the rag-tag group. She was a little surprised when he spoke directly to her.

"Remember the warehouse where the LAV was supposed to be?" She heard him ask.

"Yeah?"

"There's something a little more fun in the next warehouse over. Ghost said that the red-rings finished fixing it for us."

She felt her eyes lit up at the awesome premise of the vehicle that was being offered.

"You don't mean...?"

"Yes." She saw the grin spread across his friendly, uncle-like face. "The Little Bird."


	21. Chapter 21 - The Eagle's Nest - IX

She shuddered. She felt the metal of the pick-up lurch beneath her. The ride was terrible.

"Even if you can get in there alive," she recalled Rat arguing, "what makes you think we can even get near that thing?"

"He has a point." She remembered the pang of doubt when Ghost had said that. "Pyotr does a lot of things wrong, but security isn't one of them. I'm sure as hell not a pilot, anyway."

She reflected on how that argument had progressed. Joel had provided his usual begrudging opinions. He'd tried to help, she supposed. Blufor and Evelynn had joked, much to Adam's distaste. She remembered how the Watcher had hardly spoke, all the time just staring at the map laid out in front of him. He had muttered the odd "Yes" every now and again, but otherwise remained steadfast, lost in tactical thought.

Now, she was seated in front of him. They'd been travelling for a few hours - the cramp in her lower spine told her that - but she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. She couldn't get the words Joel had whispered to her out of her mind. She hated them. She was repulsed by them. However, she began to realise the sense in them.

"We can't just leave them, Joel!" She'd said to him. She heard the words she'd spoken repeat in her head, perfectly. Just like a re-run of a movie. She found that a little ironic.

"That's exactly what we can do." She remembered him replying. "We're talking about a full-on war, here."

"So what? These people deserve all the help they can get."

She remembered the cool, stinging liquid that had welled up in her eyes. It seemed to be a common thing, recently.

"That may be. But yelling and shooting and launching assaults like this? It's one damn sure way of getting you killed."

"How would you survive, then? By living a shell of a life with nothing to fight for?" In hindsight, she realised she had worded that question poorly. Joel was only looking out for her. She should remember to at least try and be more eloquent.

"By flying under the radar." He'd replied begrudgingly. It wasn't what she wanted to hear. She recalled her temper flaring.

"No, Joel." She'd spat. "By abandoning anyone that matters, and hiding under rocks. Am I right?"

She'd hoped she'd one day be able to banish the look on his face after she'd made that comment. For now, it hung as a gruesome reminder of how she always seemed to hurt him when he gave his everything to her.

"Do I look like I've abandoned you?" She remembered how low his voice had been. How hurt.

"This isn't about me."

"Everything is about you, now."

She'd been caught off guard by his sudden affection.

"Everything is about you." She'd heard him repeat. "Adam is the most skilled man I've met in a long time. Tough. Capable. Convicted. But, he's younger than I am, and more foolish than I am. And, compared to you? He's nothing to me. You are all that matters, now."

She'd felt smaller than she ever had in the pause that had followed.

"Don't throw your life away in a fight you can't win, Ellie."

She remembered a long pause before she'd responded.

"Why do you care so much?" She hadn't spoken that question with poison; merely with curiosity.

"You're what I live for." She'd heard him reply. "You die, so do I. You live, so do I."

She'd coped with the next pause a little better.

"Just… just listen to me, okay?"

She remembered nodding.

"We stick with 'em for now. They're good for us. Plus, won't do us harm to get some gun practice in. But, the second the shit hits the fan, I call it, and we leave. Yeah?"

She hadn't answered. She couldn't. Just like she couldn't look straight at Adam, seated opposite her right now. He'd been through so much, she knew. She knew she owed him a lot. Leaving him behind seemed like a betrayal. When the time came, she wouldn't be sure she'd have the courage to do it. She relied on Joel for that.

She glanced up, looking to the left of the Watcher. Joel was seated there. He seemed to notice her gaze, and she locked eyes with him. He smiled dully, and nodded. She knew what he was referencing. Kitted in the peculiar padded body armour that he, Adam and Blufor all wore, she thought he looked more intimidating than ever. She reflected how childish she must have looked wielding the M40A5 that was almost as big as she was.

She traced her gaze around the back of the pick-up and observed the armaments. She saw a familiar friend in Adam's giant machine gun, the writing 'M240B' still scrawled on the side. She was impressed by how he'd switched the weapon up. She noticed an improvised addition the muzzle. She was unsure what the benefit of that would be. She also observed surprisingly neat welding around the rail of the gun where the Watcher had attached a 3.4x scope from one of the old assault rifles.

That summed Adam up entirely, she thought. Military through and through. A fighter, and an improviser. She couldn't help but wonder how horrific it would be to find yourself at the business end of one of his battle furies. She hoped she'd never have to find out.

She noticed Blufor wearing identical attire, his thickening beard obscuring his jawline. His gun was smaller, she saw, but massively different. There was no box hanging off the side, and the barrel was much wider. The stock was almost identical. She didn't inquire, but instead made the assumption it was some sort of shotgun.

Rat's gear intrigued her the most. She saw he'd ditched the scruffy civilian clothes he'd worn. In their place, he wore what she could only describe as a suit made of grass. She knew it was plastic, but she thought it made him look like a walking bush. In his arms, she saw the long sniper rifle he'd wielded at the prison. It was different to hers, she noticed. It was much larger, and draped in a netting made of the same stuff his suit was.

Apparently Adam had noticed her surprise at Rat's costume change.

"We've had a slight change of plans." She heard him say.

"How so?" She replied cautiously.

"We're not just going to _waltz_ up to the gates." Rat interjected. She hated the way he patronised everyone when he spoke. "The plan is basically the same as we'd discussed, but we're going to have a sniff around the walls first. Also, I'll be staying _outside_."

"What?" She was surprised by this. "Why?"

"Anything goes wrong in there," she watched him say as he pulled the bolt on his rifle, "you guys will be trapped on the inside. If I can lay down sniper fire from a distance... I can at least suppress any bastards who try and get at you. Give you some time."

"What if we need you inside?"

"I can do that." She couldn't see the surly leader's face beneath the suit. "I'll be on a hill a few hundred meters north. I'll be able to run in. Even though I hate running. Make you feel good?"

"And what if you're seen?"

She immediately regretted saying that, and could almost feel his smug grin from beneath the plastic leaves.

"You're kidding, right? I'm a goddamn tree."

"Even trees get chopped." She heard a gruff voice from her right speak. She turned to see Ghost in his red-ring attire. He had his burlap sack back on, she saw. It still made her feel horrible. "They have snipers, too. Pretty well trained. This'll be a cinch if you stay on the low, and we do our jobs."

She watched the ex-red-ring direct his speech towards Adam.

"If we're noticed, and it goes south, people will die. On both sides."

She tried to read the Watcher, as he responded with a mere nod. She couldn't read his emotions, so she turned to Rat.

"You said the plan was _basically_ the same. What's changed?"

"Joel's idea." She heard the bush comment. "Ask him."

That sounded suspicious. She knew how much Joel wanted to quit the Nest.

"Joel?"

She heard him exhale loudly. Whether he hadn't wanted her to know for tactical or personal reasons, she didn't know.

"One team through the pump station and one through the gate with Ghost is risky. If we get caught inside, we're all as good as dead. Instead, we've split into three groups. Infiltration, Helo and Intervention."

"Buddy boy came up with the flashy names." She heard Rat say as he playfully elbowed Adam. The Watcher didn't respond.

"Who's doing what?" She asked, suddenly at unease with the late change of plans.

"Infiltration enter the Nest with Ghost." She heard Joel start again. "That's Ryker, Olivia, Rider and Evelynn. All of them unknown to the red-rings. Same tactics as before. Go to the prison, release the inmates. Make it seem like a jailbreak rather than an assault. They'll distract the red-rings so that we can stay off the sonar until we get to that Bird or that they're all dead. The VIPs - that is, people who are known by the red-rings - are Helo team. That's me, you, and Amber. We go for the Bird."

"Just the three of us?"

"The Little Bird has room for a pilot, co-pilot and a gunner." Adam muttered from in front of her.

"Right." She pretended to agree. "And, Intervention?"

"Rat, Blufor and Adam." She heard Joel utter menacingly. "Heavy weapons, heavy armour."

She heard Adam click the bolt on his massive machine gun. Then, she noticed what he wore on his back. She can't believe she'd missed the dull, rusted-orange fuel container and the apparatus it was connected to. Next to him, she noticed a tube protruding from Blufor's back. Mounted in the top end, she saw a woodland-green coloured rocket. It had the words RPG-7V2 spray-painted on the side.

"If this goes tits-up," She heard Adam start, "Rat takes the head off anything that moves, and we kill any threats on sight."

She felt massively uneasy at the thought of that massacre. She knew the red-rings were evil, but what if they were simply all men like Ghost? Just carrying out orders, being to scared to second-guess them? She retained her argument, but kept her aversion to the tactic. She felt there was something unusual about her, Joel and Amber. What was Joel expecting to do? Dump Amber out the side and fly the helicopter himself?

That was if there even was a helicopter, she noted. The existence of such a vehicle seemed bleak at best. Maybe even mythical.

She felt the suspension of the pick-up strain underneath the flat bed as they pulled onto a grass verge. She looked at Joel, perplexed, as the pick-up pulled up a hill. They moved past trees, and into a clearing. She noticed Adam's car and the SUV had followed.

"Here we go, ladies!" She heard Blufor shout, bailing out over the side of the pickup and heading into the trees. She watched Adam follow suit, not saying a word. She couldn't bear the scowl on his face.

"What's happening?" She asked dully, confused by the situation.

"We're about two miles out." She heard Joel reply softly. "We're hoofing it from here. Can't risk the noise of the cars too close to the Nest."

"What's wrong, kid?" She listened to Rat say, as patronisingly as ever. "Afraid to get your boots a little dirty? Too many video games?"

She huffed, which was all the answer she was going to grant him with. She noticed the front of the bush jitter in time with a raspy chuckle. She watched Rat scoop up his leaf-covered rifle, and follow the two heavily-armed men into the undergrowth. She lost sight of the walking bush almost immediately, probing the woodland for any sign of him. She could see Adam and Blufor as they disappeared slowly, but Rat had vanished.

She looked at Joel.

"You ready for this?" She asked, unsure if she was ready herself.

"If it goes right, 'this' will be hardly anything."

"What do you mean?" She inquired. She thought she already knew the answer, but wasn't sure she wanted to.

She watched him lean in, and heard the change in volume in his voice.

"I explained a plan to them. It wasn't the whole plan."

She felt his firm hand lovingly grip her shoulder, then watched him stand, and drop out the back of the pick-up. She heard the moist ground squelch slightly under the impact.

"You ready, big guy?" Came a voice from behind them. She turned, to see Amber walking up to the side of the truck, also clad in the strange armour. Ellie noticed her gun was small, with an unusual black cylinder fixed to the end of the barrel. She watched the white-blonde woman slide her hand into her pocket, and remove another two. One was bigger than the other.

"Take these. Screw them on to the end of your guns."

Ellie did as she was told, taking the bigger cylinder and screwing it onto the engraving at the end of her rifle's barrel. She watched Joel do the same with the smaller one, onto a gun identical to Amber's.

She drew her head up as the female veteran addressed her.

"I know you know how to use that thing, but listen. Stealth is our objective. That silencer is gonna bring some drawbacks to your gun. When you aim, you gotta go a little higher than before, okay? Same goes for moving targets. Slightly more up and to the side. Okay?"

"Slightly more up, and to the side." Ellie repeated. "Got it."

"Okay." She heard Amber reply. "Infiltration, you ready?"

"Ready!" She heard Evelynn echo from behind Adam's car. Eventually, she saw the slender woman appear from around the bodywork with Ryker, Rider and Olivia in tow. She noticed they all wore used civilian clothes. She saw they had no weapons.

She felt Ghost leap nimbly over the side of the pick-up and land next to her. She heard a bolt being drawn back, and realised this was the prisoner scenario.

"Adam didn't say goodbye to you?" She asked the scientist, feeling slightly sorry for her.

She saw Evelynn smile back at her. "He said goodbye and be safe before we left. He's a military type. When he's on a mission he's got to concentrate on it. He loves me, but I'm a distraction."

"Did he say that?"

"No. I did."

She locked eyes with Rider as she drew up behind the scientist.

"Hey." She heard the girl speak.

Hey? Was that all?

"Hey." She replied, wanting to say so much more.

"You be safe, okay?" She watched the elder girl say as she drew in. Ellie accepted the embrace, yearning for more than that. She couldn't bring herself to make the move, though. Not with Joel there.

"Yeah, course." She answered awkwardly.

"See you on the other side. We'll share stories after this is over, yeah?"

"Infiltration, we're late." She heard Ghost rumble from behind her. "Let's move."

"I gotta go." She almost couldn't bear Rider leaving.

She glanced around quickly to find Joel looking the other way, conversing with Ghost. Deftly, she leant in and planted her lips gently on Rider's. She lingered there for an extra second before drawing back, expressing her emotions through the contact. She saw Rider blush, grin, and move past her toward Ghost. On her way past, she felt Evelynn pat her on the shoulder. When she turned to face the scientist, she saw her grin and wink, then turn back around and continue walking away. She watched solemnly as Ryker and Olivia followed, and the five disappeared into the treeline in front of Ghost.

"Time for us to go as well." She heard Amber issue. "Ready team?"

"Born ready." Joel replied. His tone was encouraging enough, but she noticed mistrust in his look. Mistrust led to betrayal, she knew.

"Let's hike, then. It's about a kilometre this way."

She saw Amber make her move towards the treeline. Their direction was at a 45 degree angle to Ghost's, and almost opposite to Adam's. Strangely, she felt safer without the other huge men around. It wasn't long before she received an order from Amber.

"Ellie, can you run the radios please?" It felt weird hearing the command without having Amber turn to address her. "Channel 274.2. Just a status check."

"Yeah, sure." Ellie replied, somewhat unsure of what to do. Reluctantly, she plucked the radio handset from a coupling on Amber's backpack, set the frequency, and pushed the button in.

"Teams, status check." She spoke. She thought the military lingo sounded daft coming from a sixteen year old girl.

It wasn't long before the radios reacted.

"_Infiltration here." _Ghost's voice sounded from the handset. _"In position. Waiting for recon and the go. Out." _

She knew the gap that followed was short, but the nervousness in her stomach made it feel all the longer.

Finally, she heard Adam's voice.

"_Intervention in position. Initial recon shows low activity. Almost like a lull. Rat tagged eight guards on perimeter, ten on fence and five interior not including buildings. Twenty-three dark-grey uniforms all up, considerably less than last engagement. Exterior stations are roughly 100 meters out, but from gate positions only. You'll have to get past one of the three to get in."_

"_Shit." _She heard Ghost curse down the radio. _"Officers take orders they should but grunts ask questions they shouldn't." _

"_Won't be the clever ones on the outside, I'll tell you that."_

She smiled a little at that comment.

"_Civilians?" _She heard Ghost say through the radio.

"_No, and that concerns me." _She also felt unnerved. The Nest had been a hive of activity when they'd busted out. The main street had been full of people. _"It's practically dead in there. Looks fortified though. Windows barred up, the works." _

"_Copy." _She listened to Ghost say, almost robotically with the distortion of the radio. _"Any sign of Simon?" _

"_None, over." _

"_Copy."_

Again, she bore the silence until the radio crackled a third time.

"_Helo, are you in position?" _Adam asked curtly.

"No, not yet." She replied.

"_Get a bloody move on then."_

She heard the radio click and the connection die as Adam hung up. She felt heat rush over her at that comment. She was getting tired of him.

"Amber!" She hollered up to the white-blonde, only to be silenced by shushes.

"Sorry." She said more quietly. "How far out are we?"

She saw the female veteran gesture for her to come closer. She watched Amber angle herself around a pine, and direct her to do the same.

"Scope in, up there."

She did as bid, and slid the rifle scope onto her eye, directed the weapon through the trees. The magnification was intense, and through it she could make out shapes that weren't natural.

"Concrete?" She whispered.

She saw Amber nod as she drew the scope away from her eye. "The pump-station."

She shuddered deeply as she remembered their ordeal escaping from the Nest the first time.

"If that's still the same station," she heard Joel begin, "it should head straight to the Warehouses."

She felt the need to confirm their position on the radio. Anything to delay their entry to the station and the dank, stinking tubes that led back to the Nest.

She pressed the button on the radio again.

"Helo in position outside of the pump-station."

"_Copy." _Came Adam's voice a few seconds later.

"_Be careful." _She heard Ghost's voice advise a few moments later. _"After the breakout, Simon probably set up a heftier post in there. I advise sending one man in to do a sweep."_

"_I agree."_ Adam uttered.

She looked around to see Amber and Joel up behind her. She stood stock still, scared stiff. She didn't want to be the one to go in, and worse, potentially kill whoever was in there. She knew it was wrong of her, but she couldn't help looking at the red-ring soldiers the same way as she looked at Ghost. They didn't make the decisions. They just followed orders. They probably thought they had safety in numbers, and stuck with that despite all the sick shit that they did.

"I'll do it." Joel piped up from behind her. "I'll give you a holler when it's clear."

She wanted to object, to tell him to be safe, but she didn't. She didn't say anything. She merely stood in place, watching helplessly as he disappeared through the trees. She marvelled at how quiet he was for his size.

Silence.

She strained her ears to try and reach through it, to try and hear anything that told her Joel was okay. She heard the rustling of wind in trees. When she listened a little harder, she could hear the water rushing through the inactive pumping station. The noise was only ambient, she realised.

She tried to listen harder, and harder. Silence.

She glanced up at Amber, whose eyes were fixated on the protruding concrete a ways ahead.

Moments later, she thought she had heard the sound of popping. It reminded her of bubble-wrap. She'd found a ream of it in a warehouse, once. She never expected to hear a sound like that here, however.

It was then she saw Joel's head, barely visible in the undergrowth. Slowly, as she focused, she could see the lines defining his armoured body. The canvas on top of the padding was almost identical in colour to the foliage. If she hadn't been looking for him, she wouldn't have seen him. She did a quick sweep to see if Rat was around. She couldn't see a human bush anywhere, though, and decided that had been a daft thing to do.

"Clear." She heard Joel quietly converse to them. She moved forward as he beckoned to them, and gestured up a slight embankment that spanned the distance between the forest floor and a crumbling hole in the concrete wall.

"Contacts?" Amber spoke from behind her. She'd been wondering the same thing.

"Three outside, two in. All dead."

"Good work."

"Thanks." She turned and saw Joel smile slightly. It wasn't the smile itself, but its context that made her skin crawl. "It's this way."

Slowly, she followed the other two up the embankment. Upon scaling it, she knew exactly where she was. There was the main building of the pump station, directly ahead, the stairs descending into the entryway. She saw the door was open. Inside, she made out the outline of a torso.

_He was probably just doing his job, _she thought solemnly. Her mouth stayed shut, though. She hoped one day she could be as desensitised to killing as Joel was. That way she wouldn't need to deal with this guilt.

On second thought, she realised she was glad for it.

"Where are the three on the outside?" She asked, surprised she couldn't see them nearby."

"They took a swim." She heard Joel say. Luckily, his gruff tones carried a degree of humour. She thought maybe that was how he coped with it.

"The river flows away from the Nest." She listened to Amber comment, as if that justified it.

"I'm only an old man." Came Joel's voice as she watched him descend the stairs. "I'm sure I'm far too weak to lift bodies up these stairs."

Was he really enjoying this that much? She found his jokes almost as off-putting as Adam's recently-acquired aggression.

"Radio in, Ellie. Let them know we're here."

"Right." She spoke, trying her best to cover her apprehension. "Helo in position. Five red-rings dead. No noise." She felt the fear climb higher in her throat with every step they took towards the Nest.

"_About time." _She heard Ghost say from the radio.

"_Good work, Ellie." _This time it was Blufor who spoke to her from Intervention's position. _"Adam says operation is a go. Everyone move in. We'll be there if it all goes south. Radio silence from now on, too. Good luck, people. Be safe." _

"_Ditto." _Came Ghost's voice again. She heard the radio fizzle and crackle out of life. Slipping it back into her pack, she pulled the bolt of her rifle, readying a round. She had to focus on what what ahead and block out the fear. Just like the men did. People were depending on her.

She noticed she'd fallen slightly behind Amber and Joel, who had both already entered the station. With a bit of speed in her step, she picked up the pace and descended the steps two at a time. Luckily, her companions were waiting inside the entrance. She almost bowled into Joel as she rushed through the doorway to catch up.

"Ellie, calm down." She heard Joel whisper forcibly to her. She looked him in the eye. "Keep a level head and we'll be out of here in no time at all. Okay?"

She nodded, the words she wanted to say unable to come out while Amber was present.

They lingered in the pump-station for a few moments, giving her enough time to glance around. She couldn't help but reminisce about the last time they were here. She blocked out the memory of the scummy journey down the pipes, instead taking refuge in the warmer memories. She remembered her relief. She remembered how Carlos and the mysterious man had helped her. Most notably, she recalled the smile on Adam's face when that mysterious man turned out to be his best friend. She noted that he hadn't smiled like that in a while. She had originally wallowed in Adam's warmth, and his eloquence. Now, he seemed to be almost as cold as Joel had the capability to be. She hated to think of the possibility that those two find themselves fighting each other. She genuinely wasn't sure who would win. Maybe they would beat each other to the point where they both died. She struggled to think about being alone. She was with more people at the moment than she had ever been, but she still felt vulnerable.

She made herself shut the door on that room of thought, and instead observe her surroundings. The middle room, which they were stood in, had barely changed since they'd been here last. She noticed that boxes and chair still surrounded a burnt-out fire. The fire had a spit on it now, she saw. Next to it, she noticed a handful of brown, glass bottles. Three of them were full.

Glancing around quickly, she checked to see if anyone was watching. She saw Joel had proceeded further towards the pipeline. She couldn't see Amber.

She grasped two of the bottles quickly, and slid them into her bag. She winced as they clinked together, immediately trying to muffle the noise. Luckily, neither of the two adults noticed. She sealed her bag, stood, and moved to catch up with Joel. At least she managed to get the bottles. One for her, one for Rider. Whatever was in there, judging by the spit-roast, she guessed it went well with meat. Might be she'd try to take down a stag once they'd cleared the Nest. She thought Rider deserved that.

She arrived next to Joel, who'd stopped at the edge of the raised metal platform that protruded from the central room, into the reservoir. Next to him, she saw a large wall constructed out of sandbags, directly overlooking the end of both pipelines. Behind it stood a huge, mounted machine gun. She thought the one Adam carried was big, but it was dwarfed by this weapon. The bullets that were fed into it from a large green box were almost as long as her fingers.

"Holy shit." She muttered, resting her hands on the huge barrel of the gun. "Ghost was right about them packing some pretty serious gear, huh?"

"It's to be expected." She heard Amber reply, from the bottom of the reservoir. Glancing over the edge, she saw the veteran knee-deep in muck, wading over to the pipes. "They don't want anyone getting in or out. Have men on one side and a big machine gun on the other."

"We breezed in here pretty easily." Joel commented from her side.

"Also to be expected." She could almost predict what Amber was going to say. "They were expecting rag-tag survivors, not armed assailants with silenced weapons. Hence why they haven't sealed the pipes."

She felt the statement was flawed. She remembered the encounter with Simon and Buck, and how Adam had exposed his identity.

She wanted to tell Amber, but before she could, Joel read her mind and clasped her arm. She looked up at him in surprise, to see his finger on his lips.

_Keep that between us, _the look on his face said to her. She suspected that he might try to slip away before they arrived. She couldn't bring herself to leave Amber behind. She also couldn't bring herself to sell Joel out - he'd done more for her than anyone else.

"Hop down." She heard him say to her. "Let's go."

"But… but it's shit." She protested, looking down at the brown, water-logged muck that coated the floor of the reservoir.

"I'm aware." She heard Joel say, moments before he leapt down from the raised platform. She heard him land in the filth with a dull splat.

"I hate this." She mumbled to herself, preparing for the jump.

"C'mon." The prompt came from the bottom of the pit. "It cushions the fall."

"_Fuck_." She said, drawing out the vowel. She clutched her backpack, waited a moment, and moved her body away from the platform.

She felt the air whip past her, and a strong shock course up her legs when she landed. Her feet entered the muck badly, and it sprayed up the front of her jacket.

"Oh, for fuck's…" She began, pawing at the damp lumps of crap on the front of her jacket with gloved hands. "This is just _nasty_."

She heard Joel chuckle from in front of her, and shot him an angry glare.

"Oh boy. You look like a human mud-cake." She heard her protector joke. "C'mon, kiddo. Little bit of dirt never hurt anyone."

"It stinks!"

She heard him laugh, and looking at him, saw the grin that accompanied it.

"Yeah, it does. C'mon, we ought to move."

"Yeah, 'course."

She followed closely behind Joel. They were a distance away from Amber, and traversing that distance was easier said than done. The shit caked around her calves, stuck her in place, squelched when she moved free from it. She thought it was a miracle none got in her boots. Luckily, she'd copied an old army technique of tucking her pants into the tops of her shoes and sealing it with waterproof wrapping. Adam had quickly shown her how to do it while they had stopped in the ward. He'd said it was surprising how much better troops would perform with warm, dry feet.

She could only find duct tape at the hospital, but decided that it would do. Still, it kept the shit out. She was more than glad about that.

She watched Amber heave herself up into the pipe, followed by Joel. She couldn't quite break away from the suction of the crap and needed a tug from Joel to hoist herself up into the pipe. Once they were inside, the smell was more confined. She almost retched as it hit her.

Gagging, she made herself put one foot in front of the other. The darkness told her they'd decided not to use lights, so her only sense of direction was the tug of Joel's backpack and the damp squelch of his heavy footfalls. She clutched onto a strap fiercely, not wanting to be alone in the stinking dark.

Suddenly, she felt him pause. A quick stab of fear went through her spine. She immediately assumed he'd seen someone further ahead, but couldn't understand how in the darkness. The next second, she felt him raise and bring his arm down suddenly on something in front of him. The movement was sharp, and was followed by a loud smack. Moments later, she heard Amber's unconscious body hit the metal floor of the pipe, and squelch in the shit that coated it.

"What the fuck, Joel?" She whispered, keeping her voice low but her anger high.

"She'll be fine." Came his response. She felt almost insulted that he didn't tell her he was going to do it in the middle of the tunnel. "She's just out cold. With luck she won't wake up until after we're shot of this place."

"Shot of this place?" She doubled around on him. "What, you gonna fly a helicopter all by yourself, Joel?"

"Hell no." She heard him reply gruffly. "There won't even be a goddamn helicopter. We stole a car before. Won't be hard to do it again now there's no civilians in the Nest to blow our cover."

"And what about Amber, huh?" She could feel her anger rising into her cheeks. "You can't just leave her here!"

If she could see him properly, she knew he'd be wearing his characteristic scowl.

"Watch me." It was the coldest thing she'd heard him say in a while.

She saw a light flicker, then direct itself down the pipeline, illuminating the away. Joel must've brought a torch. It moved, and she followed it. She almost stepped on Amber's body as they walked past her. She noticed Joel turn, and assumed he'd sat her up against the wall of the pipeline when a dull clink of her gun's body on metal sounded near her. She felt genuinely awful about leaving Amber there. She followed after Joel as he trudged up the tunnel, regardless.

It was a few minutes before Joel decided to justify himself.

"Survival ain't easy, Ellie." She heard him say from ahead, almost awkwardly. It was as if he regretted what he did but kept telling himself not to. "Now under normal circumstances I wouldn't have done that. But, I rest easy knowing your safe, and you aren't safe with these people. Especially not Adam."

"Why not?" She argued. "He's huge. He's scary, he's dependable. He's gotten us out of trouble a lot."

"He goes_ looking _for trouble." She found it hard not to accept his counter-argument. "I'm huge. I'm scary, and I like to think I'm dependable. What sets him and I apart is that I'm _old. _I know how to play the game, Ellie. He's smart, but he's reckless. He's been hiding in a mountain for ten years and that's made him impulsive... almost cocky, I'd wager. He's going to get them all… what the fuck?"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"What?" She asked hesitantly, suddenly concerned.

"This… this can't be right." She noticed he was suddenly short of breath.

"What can't be?"

She heard the sound of hands grabbing metal, and then Joel heaving.

"Bars. This shit is barred up. Amber said it wasn't, what the hell is-"

Her heart sank in her throat when she heard the bolt of a gun click behind her. She also noticed a group of squelching footsteps approaching... they must've been masked by her own, she thought.

"Amber was wrong." The voice was scarily familiar. "Hey, pipsqueak. Looks like you and granddad are a little up shit creek, huh?"

She turned to see Buck, accompanied by two armed riflemen. She couldn't make out their uniforms in the dark; only the bright red beams from their laser sights.

Buck scoffed.

"Figuratively and literally."

For some reason, she realised the futility of diplomacy in this situation, and took the offensive.

"How's the hand, you _bitch_?" She blurted at Buck. She felt Joel wince next to her, but didn't regret what she'd said.

"_Fuck_ you!" Came the response, throwing Ellie slightly. There was an almost crazy kind of rage in Buck's screech. She heard rapid, moist footfalls as Buck rushed forward, coming into the visible light of Joel's torch. Ellie stood steadfast, frozen in place by the speed of Buck's approach. She felt a good hand clamp around her jaw, only to be removed a split second later by a sickening crunch as one of Joel's much bigger hands impacted Buck's face. She watched the flamboyant girl smack down into the shit in front of her, her lip split and bleeding. There was another click of a rifle, and she noticed both laser sights flick over to Joel's chest. She saw him draw backwards, and raise his hands.

"Back off, big guy, or you'll be a goddamn pin-cushion." She heard one of the red-rings say, his voice slightly muffled by his gas mask. She saw him gesture to the other guard. "Grab her."

She watched the rage on Buck's face as the other guard drew her up. She enjoyed it. She almost smiled. But she resisted the urge. She heard the red-ring talk again.

"Don't be so goddamn stupid, Buck. You know Simon wants them alive. Fuck knows what I did to deserve you assigned to me, though."

She locked eyes with Buck, grimacing, and watched the older teen spit a hunk of blood into the shit below.

"Now, big fella." She heard the red-ring talk again. "Easy way, or hard way?"

She broke her stare with Buck, and looked up to Joel. After a moments pause, she heard him speak.

"Easy way."

"Good. Turn around." She saw Joel stand still, and didn't move herself. "Both of you, now!"

She did as bid first, forcing Joel to as well. Moments later, she heard him hit the muck as a gun-butt landed on the back of his head. She winced as she heard the impact, wondering just how many times he'd been hit in exactly the same spot. Surprisingly, the same didn't happen to her.

"You gonna put her out, too?" She heard a different male voice ask from behind her. "She could jump us."

"What, you serious?" She heard the red-ring snort. Then, she noticed his tone changed. "You are serious. No. I... I don't hit little girls."

"But-"

"You arguing? I'm your superior, correct?"  
>"Yes."<p>

"Then, no. She won't get the same. Clear?"

"Clear."

That comment made her shudder with guilt. The way this was going... she knew that Adam would kill all of them, without mercy. She was too caught up in her feelings to noticed herself being searched, and her gun being removed.

"Thank you..." She muttered quietly, feeling as if she at least owed that to the red-ring.

She heard a horrendous cackle from behind her as she felt her hands being bound, then her ankles.

"Sure, you get a bit of mercy, now!" It was Buck's incessant voice, again. "But, when you get to Simon... oh man, you will be _begging_ for him to kill you."

"Shut up, Buck." She heard the red-ring say, closer to her than she'd imagined. She realised the merciful one was the one binding her. "That's an order."

She heard the older teen storm off, back down the pipe and towards the station in a rage.

"Grab the big guy."

"Copy."

She felt herself being lifted, surprisingly easily, and slung over the merciful one's back. She'd been hog-tied, and any attempt to escape would probably prove useless, as well as likely earning her a smack on the back of the head.

"You behave now, okay?" She heard the merciful one say to her. There was a tinge of menace in his voice, but also a degree of affection. She assumed he must've had a daughter before all this. "Don't make me regret my decision."

She decided not to answer, and wait out the ride. She noticed they'd left the torch at the top of the tunnel, by the bars. She lost her focus again as they drifted back into the darkness. For a decent ten minutes, the only sound she heard was squelching, and the only thing she saw was black, until they began nearing the station again, and the light started permeating the shit. She had had a momentary fright when she'd realised she'd left the radio on, but breathed a sigh of relief when she remembered they'd all agreed to radio silence unless there was an emergency. The last thing she wanted was to risk any of the others calling in and giving up their positions because she'd made a stupid mistake.

Finally, they drew towards the end of the tunnel, and back out into the station's large atrium. She watched the red-ring dragging Joel through the shit jump down, out of pipe, and then pull her protector with him afterwards. She almost heard him mutter how he didn't get paid enough for this kind of shit. She allowed herself a little smile at that humour.

Next, the red-ring carrying her jumped down. She felt the rush of air. On landing, she gasped as one of his shoulders dug into her gut. Funnily enough, she noticed that her sharp intake of breath had merited no reaction from him. She managed to catch a glimpse of the atrium, and saw where they had been hiding. There was a service door on the other side to where they were, with a few air slits in the top of the metal. She felt like an idiot when she realised they'd probably stayed hidden in there after Joel had killed the guards outside and watched them all move into the pipeline.

She felt herself being removed from the merciful one's back after they reached the catwalk back to the station, and noticed she was being raised up. Another two pairs of hands grabbed her, and pulled her the remaining way, up onto the catwalk. She wondered where they had come from.

One of them spoke above her.

"You know Simon wants them back at the compound, right?"

She heard the merciful one hoist himself up the height of the wall, and appear in her sight, as he heaved Joel up with the help of the other red-ring. Moving her head around, she saw Amber's unconscious body lying in the next room.

"What?" Merciful said, standing in front of where she lay. "You know we don't listen to Simon when he says kill them. We just take their shit and turn them out somewhere far away. I thought we'd discussed this, Jim. What changed?"

"Samson, fuck you and your conscience! Don't you get it? Simon has caught on. He wants to _see _them dead now."

She saw the merciful one rear back slightly in shock. She needed to ask Adam not to kill him. The thought of him paying with his life for the red-rings' crimes made her sick to her stomach.

"Why?" She watched him say. She guessed it was all he could manage.

"Look, we're all fucked up people. We've all done pretty bad shit. But, it's them dead or us dead, Samson, you know how the goddamn game goes!"

She resisted the urge to comment, scared they'd kill her now and take their corpses to Simon.

She heard the other red-ring talk as he finished pulling himself onto the catwalk with the other three. She'd lost track of where Buck had gone.

"I say we kill them here. Make it easier to get them in the truck."

"I agree." The fourth said.

"No, _no!"_ She heard Samson say, feeling his anger rise. She didn't even know what he looked like under that mask, but she guessed he had a warm face like Blufor.

"Can it, Samson! You two as well, that's enough." She heard the one Samson called Jim command. "We ain't killing them here. He wants to see them dead, but he wants intel too. You know we're running low on supplies."

She allowed herself a sigh of relief realizing she'd earned another few minutes alive.

"Let's quit this place." She heard the leader say. She heard him walk out alone, towards Amber, while she watched the other two grunts grapple trying to lift Joel's body. Samson was the one who lifted her, again.

They were out of the pump station in mere seconds, and she prayed that was the last she'd see of that awful, shitty place. She might be dead in an hour. Who knew? At least the red-rings hadn't mentioned anything about executions earlier in the day - she made the assumption Ghost and the rest of his team had made it to the prison alive. Doubtless she'd be heading there soon.

She was loaded into the back of the SUV that had magically appeared out the front of the pumping station. She didn't see exactly, but assumed that Buck had pulled it around to the front, as the engine was idling. She heard one man get in the front seat, two in the boot, and the fourth next to her. She'd lost track of which one was Samson – they all wore gas masks – but she guess that he'd sat next to her. For a moment, she felt a smidgen of safety. Then, she remembered he was a red-ring.

The SUV pulled off, leaving the station behind, hopefully for good. She tried to sleep through the ride, thinking that it could be her last, but was lurched awake every time they hit a bump in the track. Being a forest track, there were more than a few of those.

She kept glancing out the window behind who she thought was Samson, just looking. She looked at the green and the blue. She felt surprisingly calm and meditative given her situation. She thought about how in this world full of death, life still flourished. She thought maybe humans just didn't deserve what this earth was, anymore. She knew that she probably didn't. Joel, definitely not. Adam wouldn't even make the waiting list. But, she knew they were both just trying to make good from bad. She thought maybe that was more admirable than being good in the first place.

She hardly noticed when they'd made it onto smoother road. Everyone had been silent the entire way, which she admitted was odd for herself. She saw the treeline begin to lessen, until they were out into the clear and she felt them slow down. She almost slipped into the foot-well when the car suddenly stopped. She heard no exchange of voice, only seeing Buck gesture to a guard on the outside in her peripheral.

She felt the car start moving again, and moments later, saw the dark confines of the Nest's walls pass by the windows. She felt fear, now. It sat in her gut, manifesting. Real. She hoped everyone was okay.

She saw they were approaching the prison building, via the high-street. She saw what team Intervention had talked about on the radios. Everything that was open had been shut, windows had been barred and boarded, and she saw men stationed everywhere. There wasn't a civilian in sight.

Suddenly, she noticed the prison building slipping past her.

Where were they heading?

She felt her head moving around frantically, trying to find something to gauge her position off. She noticed this drew the attention of the red-ring sitting next to her. She locked eyes with him. She could feel the fear swimming in hers. In his, she saw discomfort. Through the enamel eyelets of the mask, she noticed his eyes were hazel. She thought it seemed as if they were apologizing to her.

Without a word, he turned away, and looked out the window again.

She squirmed, fruitless trying to free herself from the hog-tie, or at least loosen it. She could hear movement in the back, now, and heard gruff male voices and a lighter female tone.

Everyone was awake.

She felt the car stop.

She heard doors fly open, men step out, and felt the cold of the air across her face as she was blinded by the light of the sun. She was pulled out, her leg bonds cut, and forced to walk into an open area. As her vision returned to her, she noticed two old, dilapidated warehouses. She saw armed red-rings all around.

The next thing she knew, she was on her knees. She glanced to her left, and saw the line of others as she heard Joel and Amber thrown down to their knees on her right.

Past the warehouses, she could see the outside. Hills, trees, and freedom.

"Ellie." She heard from her left. Fear coursed through her, stronger than anything she'd ever felt before. It made her want to wretch.

Evelynn was the first on her left, her nose broken and blood caked on her feminine face. Next to her, she saw Olivia, Ryker, and Rider, all tied and helpless.

A horribly familiar voice sounded in front of her.

"It seems we have a problem, here."

She heard a scream of agony and a gut-wrenching snap as she saw Simon break a beaten Ghost's leg with a metal pipe. She gasped as the huge man threw her friend to the floor. She saw him, lying in the dust, his hair and face matted with blood. She made eye contact with him, her eyes stinging.

"He thinks he's awfully smart, this one, doesn't he?" She heard the huge, shaved-headed man monologue to them. "Sure, he's quick, and quiet... but he's weak."

She winced as a huge boot crashed into Ghost's side.

"You've all made a grave mistake here, I'm afraid." She watched him pacing up and down in front of the line as he spoke, arrogant, his unnaturally large biceps almost pulsing. "I didn't think the two groups were together, you know."

She saw the red-ring leader round on her.

"Until the little one started crying."

She scolded herself, until Simon kicked Ghost again. Then she cried even more.

"You tried to attack us. That's bad. I'm afraid that means a quick death for you."

She heard Joel grunt to her right, his tension towards Simon almost palpable. She knew he was waiting for the right moment to strike. She tried to ready herself as well.

The sun was horrendously hot on her head, now. Maybe it was the fear. Maybe both.

"However, _he_ tried to attack us... after he _betrayed_ us. That's worse. So... it's going to be _awfully_ slow, for him."

She saw the eloquent maniac cackle. The noise grated her ears.

"We've already been at it for hours. And the best part is... you all get to watch the finale!"

She couldn't help herself, and burst into tears. She heard Evelynn doing the same. Joel was a quiet as he always was.

"Stand him up." She heard Simon order, as the beast of a man pounded his way over to where Samson stood. Next to him, she saw the weapons they'd had in the pump station. She watched the beast rifling through them, until she heard him huff in satisfaction, and stand up again.

She saw he was weilding Adam's revolver. It must've been jutting out of her jacket, enough for one of the red-rings to take it when they'd jumped her, Joel and Amber.

"A beautiful piece." She heard him say, as he moved back in front of the line. He stood just in front and to the left of her. ".44, correct? Big bullets."

Ghost was ten feet away, only just being supported by two red-rings. She saw Simon take aim, and heard the hammer click back.

"Any final words, traitor?" The huge man spoke.

She saw Ghost lock eyes with her.

"I am so, so sorry, Ellie. For everything."

She noticed he was crying.

The Magnum fired.

"One!" Simon yelled from her left. She thought he sounded like a murderous schoolgirl.

She saw Ghost double over. She noticed the floor was now slick with fresh blood. She tried her hardest to avert her eyes from the hole in his stomach, but couldn't take them away. She heard the other women in the group hysterical, and Ryker screaming at the top of his lungs. Joel stayed quiet.

The hammer clicked, and the Magnum fired.

"Two!" She heard Simon cackle. She watched Ghost collapse to the floor, the bullet ripping through his right thigh, only to be hoisted back up by the red-rings.

Her eyes stung horribly.

The hammer clicked, and the Magnum fired.

"Three!" And again. "Four!"

And again. Joel was silent to her right.

"Five!" She swallowed hard as Simon almost sang the number. He was enjoying this far too much.

She saw Ghost, peppered with large holes. Somehow, he was still alive.

"And, finally." She heard Simon say, his tone now deadly serious. She saw him stand at his full height, the pistol raised. "_Six."_

The hammer clicked, and the Magnum fired.

She saw the bullet strike Ghost in the head. The red-rings let go, and she watched him collapse to the floor. Still.

She felt only nothingness inside. She knew that he hadn't wanted any of this.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for watching the opening sequence." She heard him throw Adam's pistol lazily to the side. "Now for the main event."

She kept her eyes on him as he turned, stepped away from the line-up, and looked them over. Fury and sadness burned within her.

She saw him call to his red-rings.

"Who dies next?" She heard him say. He gestured at Ryker. "The loudmouth?"

She could feel her focus on the world slipping as emotion began to consume her.

She saw him gesture to Evelynn next. "Or, the pretty one?"

She tried to zone out, to pretend she wasn't there. She tried to ignore Ghost's lifeless body in front of her.

"The girl." Came a voice from behind her, snapping her back into reality. "And I want to do it."

She saw the big man grin menacingly, and nod.

"Feel free."

"_No!"_ She heard Evelynn scream from her left. She noticed Joel stand in his rage to protect her, only to be beaten over the head and thrown back down, now restrained by guards. She listened to his panicked struggles as Buck entered her sight, a large knife gleaming in her grip.

She felt the cool edge press up against her throat, and felt a slight tingle as it cut through the very surface of the skin. She noticed Buck was practically salivating at the opportunity.

"Do it." She said to the bully, defeat in her voice and tears on her face. "Just fucking do it."

She saw the girl in front of her, but felt no slash. What was she waiting for? Ellie could see the crazy in her eyes.

Suddenly, she heard the radio in her pocket crackle into life.

"_Buck!" _Came Adam's voice from the device.

She saw the older teen become perplexed, glance at the pocket, and then draw back from her.

"_Turn around." _Came Adam's voice, again.

For some reason, she watched Buck do as he'd commanded, and gaze off into the hills. She saw Simon had an equally perplexed look on his face. She looked past Buck, in the same direction, trying to find what they were all looking for.

She heard a dull bang in the distance.

A split-second later, there was a loud whistle, and she saw Buck's head explode. She was covered in thick red muck, and pieces of something worse.


End file.
